Thursday 4 October 2018
Ørsted granted initial approval to double giant UK offshore wind farm
Ørsted has been given the initial green light by The Crown Estate to double the capacity of its offshore wind farm in the UK.
The current 573MW Race Bank offshore wind farm, located off the North Norfolk Coast, was opened in June this year and is believed to be the fifth largest in the world.
The proposed Race Bank Extension project would be located adjacent to the existing wind farm and generate another 573MW of electricity – enough to power 500,000 homes.
It will now be subject to a Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) by The Crown Estate, which will assess any possible impact on relevant nature conservation sites of European importance over the next six to nine months.
Subject to the outcome, construction activities are expected to commence post 2020.
Matthew Wright, UK Managing Director for Ørsted said: “Offshore wind can be the backbone of our energy system and securing another potential project underlines Ørsted’s continued commitment to the UK’s energy transition.
“The current Race Bank project, featuring the first ever turbine blades to be manufactured in Hull, is already generation enough green electricity for half a million homes and this extension could add further capacity to our operation on the east coast.”
Race Bank Extension is a joint venture between Ørsted (70%), Green Investment Group (17.5%) and Sumitomo Corporation (12.5%).
Turning businesses' entire energy supply green will be discussed by Ørsted at Energy Live Expo on 31st October in London, with Energy Minister Claire Perry headlining the event.
To book your place (free if you are an end user), you can e-mail tickets@energylivenews.com.
