Between 13 August and 23 September residents of Yorkshire, specifically residents of Flamborough, have the opportunity to view proposals for a new offshore wind farm off the coast of Flamborough Head. Community members will be able to speak to members of the project team about the development of plans for the project. Ørsted predicts that in a 600km2 offshore area, 180 new turbines could be installed, providing renewable wind energy to Yorkshire and the wider UK. The area that Ørsted has its eye on sits to the west of Hornsea One and Hornsea Two, which both remain under construction, though Hornsea One began supplying electricity to the UK’s national grid in February 2019. Upon its scheduled 2022 completion, Hornsea Two is set to be the world’s largest offshore wind farm, reported on here.

Ørsted’s offshore wind farming projects have seen success in similar areas. The company’s wind farms in the German North Sea have been responsible for producing over 10TWh of electricity since 2015, delivered to Germany’s national grid. After this success, Ørsted was granted contracts for five more German offshore wind projects. However, this consultation period comes just days after the disconnection of Hornsea One which, along with a near-simultaneous disconnection of a gas-powered plant in Bedfordshire, caused a major power outage and significant transport delays in the UK, reported on here. The director of operations at the National Grid Electricity System Operator, Duncan Burt has denied speculation that unpredictable wind patterns were to blame for the power cut, leaving questions about the cause unanswered. An investigation has been launched by Ofgem to determine the nature of the failures.

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