Hornsea 4 offshore wind farm
Hornsea 4 is a 2,400 MW offshore wind farm with 180 turbines in English waters. Its status: consented in July 2023, but Ørsted decided on 7 May 2025 to discontinue the project in its current form, keeping the seabed rights, grid connection agreement and Development Consent Order for possible later development (Ørsted). The Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract) still records: approved on 12 July 2023, not yet built; the record was last updated on 7 May 2025. Its REPD grid reference is 83 km from the nearest postcode on land (NR26 8AG, North Norfolk). As a nationally significant project, it was decided by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on a Development Consent Order after examination by the Planning Inspectorate (EN010098).
Consent timeline
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| 29 September 2021 | Application submitted |
| 12 July 2023 | Development consent granted (Secretary of State) |
| 7 May 2025 | Ørsted discontinues the project in its current form |
| 12 July 2030 | Permission due to expire (unless work starts) |
Status source: Ørsted. The Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract) still shows this project as “approved, not built”.
Project details
- Technology
- offshore wind farm
- Capacity
- 2,400 MW
- Turbines
- 180
- Status
- consented, development stopped (Ørsted; REPD: approved, not built)
- Record last updated
- 7 May 2025
- Operator or applicant
- Orsted (formerly Dong Energy)
- Consenting authority (REPD)
- The Planning Inspectorate - National Infrastructure
- Application reference
- EN010098
- Nearest postcode on land
- NR26 8AG (North Norfolk), 83.1 km from the REPD grid reference
- Time to decision
- 93 weeks
- Contracts for Difference
- AR6
- REPD reference
- 2473
Official project record at the Planning Inspectorate
Who decides
As a nationally significant project, it was decided by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on a Development Consent Order after examination by the Planning Inspectorate (EN010098). All Energy Secretary decisions on solar and wind farms.
Other offshore wind projects within 30 km
| Project | MW | Status | km |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hornsea 3 | 2,955 | under construction | <0.1 |
| Hornsea 1 - Heron & Njord | 1,218 | operational | <0.1 |
All offshore wind farms in UK waters
Status and events credited to a named source are from that source; other dates as recorded in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract); the database can lag behind consent decisions. Location: REPD grid reference (53.6815, 1.4207).