Government gives go ahead for world’s largest windfarm

The 1.8GW Hornsea Project Two has received development consent from Business and Energy Secretary 

The world’s largest windfarm, Hornsea Project Two, has received development consent to be built off the coast of Yorkshire.

When complete, the windfarm will deliver up to 1.8GW of electricity to around 1.8 million UK homes.

The windfarm would create up to 1,960 construction jobs and 580 operational and maintenance jobs. If built to the full capacity, the investment would total around £6bn providing a great opportunity for economic growth in the Humber region and beyond.

Business and energy secretary Greg Clark said the government is determined to make the UK a leading destination for investment in renewable energy. He added: “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.”

Located approximately 89km off the Yorkshire coast, the windfarm will comprise up to 300 wind turbines and will connect to the grid at North Killingholme in North Lincolnshire.

The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy said: “The government is making £730m of financial support available for renewable electricity generation this Parliament, sending a clear signal that the UK is open for business.”

Mark Meyrick, trading director at renewable energy supplier Good Energy, said: “This announcement is fantastic news for UK energy.

“The UK is already a global leader in offshore wind and this new project demonstrates just how much renewable energy potential we have. It’s clear that our European partners have faith in this country’s wind energy potential.

“We need to match the ambition of our offshore wind sector with new technologies like tidal lagoons, which could provide 8% of UK electricity demand.”

It is expected that 10GW of offshore wind will be installed in the UK by the end of this decade and up to a further 10GW of new offshore wind is predicted to be installed in the 2020s as costs come down.