The Largest Offshore Wind Farm In The World Is Now Operational (And 1.4 Million Homes Thank You)
By Lance Vaughn
If we were to unfold it on a map, the Hornsea 2 offshore wind farm would occupy a little more than half of New York, a remarkable area that explains why it stands out on the world energy scene. Let’s see. According to data released by the Danish company that built it, Ørsted, Hornsea 2 includes 165 wind turbines spread over 462 km2 and with the capacity to supply electricity to around 1.4 million homes, making it the largest facility of its kind in the world. Now it is finally at full capacity.
Although Hornsea 2 took its first steps as early as December 2021, it has only now been when its managers confirm that its full potential is available. “Ørsted is proud to announce that the largest installed wind farm in the world is now fully operational,” notes the firm before reviewing the business card of the endowment: 165 turbines located 89 km from the Yorkshire coast, with capacity for 1.3 gigawatts and power more than 1.4 million homes.
Together with Hornsea 1, the facility could supply power to 2.5 million householdsalmost twice as many as there were in Madrid at least in 2018. In the place where it is located, Hornsea, an extension of more than 2,000 square kilometers of the North Sea, Hornsea 3 will also be installed.
Each of the wind turbine blades that the company uses in the park is 81 meters long and its tip reaches heights that exceed 200 meters above sea level. It is estimated that with a single revolution, the wind turbine can power an average UK house for 24 hours. That energy is then transferred to the coast through 390 km of submarine cables.
“Together with Hornsea 1, the farm can make a significant contribution to the United Kingdom government’s ambition to have 50 GW of offshore wind power in operation by 2030,” highlights the company, which already has an extensive network of 13 operating offshore wind farms in the country that provide 6.2 GW of electricity, enough for more than seven million homes.
The news that Hornsea 2 is fully operational comes in a complex energy scenario, marked by the Russian gas crisis in Europe, the escalation of prices and the decarbonisation of the sector.
“Current world events highlight more than ever the importance of renewable energy flagships such as Hornsea 2, helping the UK increase the security and resilience of its energy supply and lower costs for consumers by reducing reliance on expensive fossil fuels,” reflects Duncan Clark of Ørsted.
In the specific case of the United Kingdom, the government presented its Energy Security Strategy in April, a plan that foresees, among other objectives, reaching up to 24 gigawatts of nuclear power by 2050, 50 GW of offshore wind power and 10 GW of “low-carbon” hydrogen by 2030. The approach is also ambitious in the field of photovoltaics, although it was criticized for supporting “in the short term” the production of oil and gas at the national level.
The title of the largest offshore wind farm in the world could not last long for Hornsea 2 in any case. The BBC recalls that when Dogger Bank is fully built – also in the waters of the North Sea – it will be able to power around six million homes.
