A new deadline has been set for the next Humber-focused offshore wind farm in the world-leading developer’s pipeline.
Orsted’s huge Hornsea Three has been working through birds and habitat concerns in the zone off the East Yorkshire coast and the Greater Wash, where power will hit land.
Originally scheduled for a decision by October 31, it was put back to March, then June 1.
That date, today, has now been moved to July 1 by Business Secretary Alok Sharma, having inherited the nationally-significant project from predecessor Andrea Leadsom.
The original six month delay was to allow for representations to be made, following objections to the multi-billion pound project.
Then responses from Orsted to interested parties saw a further invite for representations, stretching beyond the end of this month.
As the name suggests, it is the third project in the zone of four from the Danish giant, which has made Grimsby its East Coast home.
Located 120km offshore, it sits beyond the now built Hornsea One and soon-to-start Hornsea Two.
Unlike the pair, where electricity lands at Horseshoe Point, Lincolnshire, connecting with the grid at North Killingholme, this will hit land on the north Norfolk coast, linking with a substation on the outskirts of Norwich, if passed.
A spokesperson for Orsted said: “Hornsea Three is a significant renewable energy project that could generate enough clean electricity for well over two million homes. As a responsible developer, we welcome the opportunity the consultation has presented for additional productive engagement with key stakeholders, and look forward to continuing to play our part in the decarbonisation of the UK’s electricity system.”
Located 120km offshore, it sits beyond the now built Hornsea One and soon-to-start Hornsea Two, and while operated and maintained from Grimsby - where a £14 million East Coast Hub base has been developed - the electricity will land in Norfolk, with onshore cabling taking it to a substation close to Norwich.
At 2.4GW, Hornsea Three would be virtually double the size of the record-breaking Hornsea One. Nearly 700 sq km is being investigated.
A smaller Hornsea Four, at 1.8GW and closer to the coast than Hornsea One, is also proposed.
