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Hornsea One, the biggest offshore wind farm in the world, celebrates major construction milestone​


  • Longest ever AC offshore wind export cable system now installed
  • Total offshore cable length of 467km, around the same distance from London to Newcastle
  • Manufacture and installation completed months ahead of schedule

Construction is progressing well on what will become the world’s largest offshore wind farm, as Ørsted announces the completion of export cable installation at Hornsea One months ahead of schedule.

With offshore export cables totalling 467km, around the same distance as London to Newcastle, plus an onshore cable route of 38km connecting each of the three strings to the national grid, it is the longest AC offshore wind export cable system ever to have been installed.

When fully operational in 2020, Hornsea One’s 174 turbines will generate enough clean electricity for well over one million homes. The electricity generated by the turbines 120km out at sea will pass through one of three offshore substations, before being carried by three high voltage subsea export cables (245kV), via the reactive compensation station, to shore.

Duncan Clark, Programme Director for Hornsea Projects One and Two, said: “This record-breaking project is a step up in scale from the offshore wind farms we have today. It will be the first offshore wind farm in the world with a capacity over 1GW, and at 120km out to sea, we are pioneering new technology and really at the forefront of scaling up clean energy infrastructure with each phase we complete.

“I’d personally like to thank our team including all of the contractors who have enabled us to reach this milestone ahead of schedule. Over 35 vessels were involved in delivering the installation, which was conducted safely and efficiently by all.  An incredible feat of logistical coordination, and truly a landmark achievement for both the project and the growing offshore wind industry across the globe.”

Termination and testing is also being completed ahead of schedule, and is expected to conclude within the first months of the New Year.

In November, Ørsted announced that over 100 of the 174 foundations for Hornsea One have now been installed, and turbine installation is expected to commence in Q1 2019.

ABOUT Ørsted

The Ørsted vision is a world that runs entirely on green energy. Ørsted develops, constructs and operates offshore wind farms, bioenergy plants and innovative waste-to-energy solutions and provides smart energy products to its customers. Headquartered in Denmark, Ørsted employs 5,600 people, including over 900 in the UK. Ørsted’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen (Orsted). In 2017, the group’s revenue was DKK 59.5 billion (EUR 8.0 billion). For more information on Ørsted, visit orsted.co.uk or follow us on FacebookLinkedInInstagram and Twitter.