The world’s largest wind farm, Hornsea 3, is under construction in the North Sea. The project has a capacity of 2.9 GW and will be able to supply clean energy to 3.3 million British households. The first subsea cable has already been laid from the power plant, effectively connecting it to the UK’s national grid.
This was reported by the Daily Galaxy.
Hornsea 3 will generate energy using some of the most powerful commercial turbines, each with a capacity of 14 MW. The offshore wind farm itself is located 120 km off the coast of Yorkshire. The project was in development for nearly ten years before its first cable was laid to shore.
The wind farm will contribute to the UK’s strategic goal of creating 50 GW of offshore wind power by 2050. Hornsea 3 is set to become fully operational as early as 2027.
Source: Ørsted
Part of a grand project
Laying the first line is only part of the work. In total, 680 km of export cable will be laid for energy transmission by the end of 2026. Special conductors began to be manufactured three years ago, and production will be completed this summer.
“The strict sequence between manufacturing and offshore installation is one of the most challenging logistics issues in the project, where delays with any individual component can impact the entire schedule,” the publication notes.
The export cable combines two high-voltage direct current cables with a fiber optic cable, which allows the scope of work to be reduced. The subsea conductor will transmit electricity from the wind turbines to shore, after which an underground cable will deliver the current to a station in Norfolk.
EcoPolitic previously reported that wind power accounts for 11% of global electricity consumption.
The combined output of solar and wind power plants in 2025 has already reached 4 TW.
