Hornsea Four offshore wind farm
North Sea, off the Yorkshire coast, UK · Consented (July 2023), but discontinued by Ørsted (May 2025) · N/A (project discontinued before full investment)
The judgement call
Account action unavailableThe project received final approval in July 2023, but Ørsted's decision to discontinue it in May 2025 highlights the economic and regulatory challenges faced by large-scale renewable energy projects, even after consent. - This demonstrates the importance of a stable policy framework and attractive investment conditions for project realization.
Key engineering challenges
Navigating complex planning and consenting processes for large-scale offshore wind projects. - Adapting to evolving market conditions and policy frameworks. - Managing technical risks and challenges associated with overlap with other infrastructure (e.g., wells).
Project facts
- Client / owner
- Ørsted (developer, but project discontinued)
- Lead contractor
- N/A
- Lead designers
- N/A
- Project type
- new build (planning/consented, then cancelled)
- Scale
- Up to 2.4 GW (2400 MW) capacity (proposed)
- Disciplines
- civil; structural; mechanical; electrical; marine; geotechnical; environmental
- Standards & frameworks
- N/A
Sources: Hornsea Project Four Offshore Wind Farm - Project information: https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN010098 - Ørsted to discontinue the Hornsea 4 offshore wind project: https://orsted.com/en/company-announcement-list/2025/05/orsted-to-discontinue-the-hornsea-4-offshore-wind--143901911 - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hornsea_Wind_Farm