DONG Energy starts consultation on world's biggest potential offshore wind farm

2016-05-04T07:30:00.0000000Z

DONG Energy is starting consultation as part of the planning process for the Hornsea Project Three offshore wind farm, which has a maximum capacity of 2.4 gigawatts (GW). If built out to full capacity, Hornsea Project Three would be the world's largest offshore wind farm, capable of powering over 2 million UK homes.

Hornsea Project Three is located approximately 120 kilometres from the Yorkshire coast and is within the previous Hornsea zone boundary. The Hornsea zone has now been split into four areas allocated for offshore wind farm development: Hornsea Project One, Hornsea Project Two, Hornsea Project Three and Hornsea Project Four.

Notes to editors

1. Further information can be found on the Hornsea Project Three web page.

2. DONG Energy acquired the remaining Hornsea Round 3 Offshore Wind Zone from SMart Wind Ltd (including the Smart Wind Company itself), and the rights to develop Hornsea Project Two and Hornsea Project Three, in August 2015. Hornsea Three has since been split into two Project areas, therefore there now exists a Hornsea Project Four. DONG Energy initially acquired Hornsea Project One in an earlier transaction.

3. Hornsea Project One is one of three DONG Energy offshore wind farms granted a Final Investment Decision Enabling contract (Contract for Difference) by the UK Government in April 2014.

About DONG Energy:
DONG Energy is one of the leading energy groups in Northern Europe, headquartered in Denmark. Around 6,700 ambitious employees, including over 600 in the UK, are engaged in developing, constructing and operating offshore wind farms; generating power and heat from our power stations; providing energy to residential and business customers on a daily basis; and producing oil and gas. Group revenue was DKK 71bn (EUR 9.5bn) in 2015. For further information, see www.dongenergy.co.uk or follow us @DONGEnergyUK on Twitter.

DONG Energy recently announced that it has taken a final investment decision to build the 1.2 GW Hornsea Project One, which will be capable of powering well over 1 million UK homes. Hornsea Project One will become the world's largest offshore wind farm when it becomes operational, which is expected to be in 2020.

Hornsea Project Two has recently finished the examination phase of the application for a consent, and awaits a decision from the Secretary of State in June 2016.

Brent Cheshire, DONG Energy UK's Country Chairman, said:

"Hornsea Project Three is a huge infrastructure project which, if built out to full capacity, would be the world's largest offshore wind farm and potentially twice the size of Hornsea Project One.

"Moving forward with consultation for Hornsea Project Three really underlines our commitment to the UK offshore wind industry. We have already invested around £5 billion in the UK on offshore wind and we have a number of important future projects under construction and in our pipeline."

Hornsea Project Three is now seeking to enter the planning process, with a consent application expected to be submitted in 2018. If this is successful, construction of the offshore wind farm is anticipated to take place between 2022 and 2025.

Hornsea Project Three is located to the east of Hornsea Project One and Hornsea Project Two, and spans a huge area of approximately 696 square kilometres – over 17 times the size of Norwich.

For additional information, please contact:

Ørsted
+44 20 7811 5208