The Biggest Offshore Wind Farm in the World Will Be Fully Online This Month

Key Highlights

• Location: Offshore of England
• Projects: Hornsea One and Hornsea Two
• Completion: Hornsea Two expected to be fully commissioned by the end of this month

Hornsea Project Details

• Hornsea One:

  • Construction started in January 2018
  • Generated first power about a year and a half later

• Hornsea Two:

  • Construction began after Hornsea One
  • Initial operations started last December
  • Final reliability runs currently ongoing

Challenges and Delays

• Delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly due to the Omicron variant impacting staffing
• Financial impact on Orsted due to overhedging, resulting in a loss of around 269 million Euros/USD

Turbine Specifications

• Manufacturer: Siemens Gamesa
• Capacity: Each turbine is 8 MW
• Blade Length: 81.4 meters (267 feet), about three-fourths the length of a football field
• Output: 20% more annual output than Hornsea One's turbines

Capacity and Impact

• Hornsea Two Generating Capacity: 1.32 gigawatts (GW)
• Homes Powered: Enough to power 1.3 million UK homes
• Geographical Span: Covers 462 square kilometers (178 square miles)

Future Developments

• Dogger Bank Wind Farm:

  • Expected to be operational by March 2026
  • Capacity of 3.6 GW across three phases

• Hornsea Three: Expected to produce 2.8 GW, powering 3.2 million homes

• Hornsea Four: Currently in planning phase

Strategic Goals

• Orsted: Aiming to install 30 GW of offshore wind globally by 2030
• UK National Goal: Achieve 40 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030, contributing to net-zero emissions by 2050

Conclusion

• Hornsea Two will shortly become the world's largest operational wind farm until Dogger Bank surpasses it.
• Offshore wind is a key component in the transition to renewable energy and achieving climate targets.

Image Credit: Orsted

These notes provide a comprehensive overview of the current status and future outlook of the Hornsea offshore wind projects, highlighting their significance in the renewable energy landscape.