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World's largest wind farm on Yorkshire coast gets green light

Development consent has been given to the largest offshore wind farm in the world. Located around 89km from the Yorkshire coast, the Hornsea Project Two will revolutionise the status of and potential for UK wind energy to address future needs. 

Project Two is set to deliver up to 1800 megawatts of low carbon electricity, equating to the estimated energy needed by 1.8 million UK homes. Given predicted future energy needs, securing a pipeline for energy production is critical.

Following the approval, Business and Energy secretary Greg Clark said: “The UK’s offshore wind industry has grown at an extraordinary rate over the last few years, and is a fundamental part of our plans to build a clean, affordable, secure energy system.”

The windfarm will consist of around 300 wind turbines that will connect to the UK grid at North Killingholme in North Lincolnshire. It is anticipated that the project will create 1,960 construction jobs and at least 580 operational jobs.

With the Hornsea project being divided into three separate projects, owned and developed by DONG energy, many will recall that the Project One was approved in February, and is anticipated to be fully commissioned by 2020. Project Two represents another achievement in establishing the world’s largest windfarm.

Permissions have not yet been given for Hornsea Project Three, but permission for this final stage is expected. This follows from the government's pledge of £730m to support renewable electricity generation during the current parliament. “Britain is a global leader in offshore wind and we’re determined to be one of the leading destinations for investment in renewable energy, which means jobs and economic growth right across the country,” Clark said.

With 10GW of offshore wind due to be installed by 2020, the UK is taking further steps forward in developing UK wind energy production.