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-gated at launchThe 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