RenewableUK says the Government’s announcement on the go-ahead for a major new offshore wind project shows that the sector is developing robustly.
Hornsea 1, which will be located 64 miles (103 km) off the East Yorkshire coast, will have an installed capacity of 1.2 gigawatts (GW) – enough to power more than 841,000 British homes.
This is the first project to be developed in the Hornsea Zone, an area earmarked for several offshore wind farm developments with a total potential capacity of 4GW. The developer SMart Wind is a joint venture between Mainstream Renewable Power and Siemens Project Ventures.
The news comes as onshore and offshore wind power continues to break records for generation. In addition to a new daily record of 7.3GW generated on Sunday, yesterday saw the half-hourly record for wind reach a new milestone, breaking the 9GW barrier for the first time. The new record now stands at 9.1GW, according to official National Grid statistics.
RenewableUK’s Director of Offshore Renewables, Nick Medic , said: “The green light for Hornsea is a much-needed boost for the offshore wind sector. It represents a vote of confidence from the Government in our industry. We are one step closer to seeing the multitude of benefits that this ambitious project will bring to the region and to the UK as a whole – in terms of job creation, economic regeneration, generating clean electricity and increasing Britain’s energy security.
“A new wind energy record on top of this is the icing on the Christmas cake. Wind is contributing ever larger shares of electricity to the grid, now on par with more established technologies. It’s good to end the year on this positive note, as it sets the mood for continued expansion in the year ahead.”
Press release; Image: SMart Wind