The project, when finished, could potentially provide as much as 1,800 megawatts of electricity to more than a million homes in the United Kingdom, and generate almost 2,000 construction jobs and 580 operational and maintenance positions.
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Hornsea Project Two would create up to 1,960 construction jobs as well as 580 operational and maintenance jobs, and could be worth up to £6 billion.
Merkur is a construction-ready wind farm located approximately 45 kilometers north of the islands of Borkum, Germany, in the North Sea.
Dong says the Hornsea Zone has the potential to provide enough electricity to meet about four per cent of all electricity demand in the United Kingdom and power about three million homes. A total capital investment of €1.6 billion ($1.96 billion) was raised from equity investors and bank lenders on a non-recourse project financing basis.
“Britain is a global leader in offshore wind, and we’re determined to be one of the leading destinations for investment in renewable energy, which means jobs and economic growth right across the country”, he added.
The Development Consent Order (DCO) was approved by Greg Clark MP at the recommendation of the Planning Inspectorate.
The Hornsea Two windfarm project, to be built by DONG Energy, is part of Britain’s push to invest in new electricity generation capacity needed to overcome a squeeze on power supplies in the next decade. “A project of this size will help in our efforts to continue reducing the cost of electricity from offshore wind and shows our commitment to investing in the United Kingdom”.
The project is the second in the Hornsea zone to be given the go-ahead, with Dong having made a final investment decision in February to build the 1.2GW Hornsea 1 offshore wind farm.
The study could have implications for the development of wind farms in the region, especially the selection of the type of turbines and the spacing between them.
The project is expected to be the largest of its kind once it is built, surpassing Dong’s 1.2GW Hornsea Project One, which reached financial close earlier this year.
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RenewableUK chief executive Hugh McNeal said: “Today’s announcement is the latest vote of confidence in the UK’s world-beating offshore wind market”.
