Offshore staff
LONDON – UK’s The Planning Inspectorate has announced a delay of nearly five months before the Secretary of State takes a final decision on approval for the Hornsea 4 wind farm, 69 km from the Yorkshire coast in the North Sea.
RenewableUK's executive director of Policy Ana Musat said the delay to the consent order was disappointing.
“This landmark offshore wind project has the potential to supply an enormous 2.6 GW of clean electricity to the grid, displacing expensive gas, reducing bills and boosting our energy security," she said. "At a time when countries like the US and the EU are doubling down on attracting clean energy investment through financial incentives and a stable policy framework, the UK cannot afford to create unnecessary hurdles for investors and developers. This decision clearly shows that government needs to reform our cumbersome planning system urgently to ensure that renewable energy projects are not subject to needless delays.”
Musat claimed that due to unclear guidance to planning authorities, The Planning Inspectorate has recommended no new UK offshore wind project since 2017, with 6 GW of projects currently awaiting consent orders.
“To meet our 50 GW offshore wind target,” she added, “the UK will need to install 4.5 GW of offshore wind a year in the latter half of this decade.”
Hornsea 4 operator Ørsted has been investigating an offshore area of up to 492 sq km area where up to 180 wind turbines could be located. Hornsea 1 and Hornsea 2 are in operation, while Hornsea 3 has received a development consents order.
