When fully operational, Hornsea Two’s 165 8MW Siemens Gamesa wind turbines will be capable of generating 1.32GW of clean electricity – taking the title of “world’s largest operating offshore wind farm” from its sister project Hornsea One. Together, the two projects will be capable of providing enough power for well over 2.3 million homes.

First power on Hornsea Two was achieved after its offshore substation (OSS), the world’s largest offshore AC substation, and reactive compensation station (RCS), were installed in late October 2021. Since that time, Ørsted and its partner companies have been working hard to commission and energise the wind farm in preparation for its anticipated operational date next year.

When complete, power will be transferred from the 165 wind turbines via 373km of array cables to the OSS and RCS, reaching the National Grid via 390km of offshore and 40km of onshore export cables which terminate at the onshore substation in Killingholme.

A further two projects in the Hornsea Zone are also underway, with Hornsea Three receiving a Development Consent Order in December 2020 and Hornsea Four currently going through the planning process. Collectively, the projects would make a significant contribution to the UK Government’s target of achieving net zero by 2050.

Patrick Harnett, Programme Director for Hornsea Two, said: “Achieving first power is an important milestone for the project and a proud moment for the whole team. Constructing a project of this size and scale is only possible through strong collaboration, hard work and dedication. From here, we have the finish line in sight as we install the remaining turbines and continue testing, commissioning and energising our wind farm into the New Year. A huge well done to everyone who has worked through the pandemic to keep the project on track.”

Duncan Clark, Head of Region UK at Ørsted, said: “Climate change is one of the biggest threats facing the world today, and we believe that the solution lies in deploying renewable energy resources on a much larger scale than anything we have seen so far. The UK is the global leader in offshore wind and our Hornsea projects have helped pave the way for the next generation of offshore wind farms. Reaching this milestone on Hornsea Two is testament to the incredible skill and commitment of everyone involved.”