The UK delayed the decision for Ørsted’s 2.6GW Hornsea Four offshore wind project in the North Sea, 69km off the Yorkshire Coast. The Planning Inspectorate announced that the deadline for the decision on the development consent application has been extended to 12th July from 22nd February.
The Secretary
of State has three months from the receipt of the Examining Authority’s report
to make a decision—but can also set a new deadline. It said it needed extra
time to consider additional information that is now being requested from the
developer.
The request
relates to updates or information on impacts on birds, the adequacy of the
proposed compensation measures and the developer’s proposal to repurpose the
Wenlock platform as an artificial nesting structure.
Industry group
RenewableUK said the delay of nearly five months to the decision is a sign that
the planning system needs reform.

The UK has
one of the largest offshore wind markets in the world with over 10GW of
installed capacity across 38 sites. The country plans to boost offshore wind
capacity to 50GW by the end of 2030.
The six
offshore wind sites include Dogger Bank South’s West and East extensions,
managed by RWE renewables. Collectively, the two extensions to the wind farm
off the Yorkshire coast will add 3GW of generation capacity.
The United
Kingdom has announced a GBP60m (US$73.1m) public and private funding investment
in floating offshore wind projects to assist development of new turbines to be
placed in the windiest areas along the UK's coastline.
The government is
providing GBP31m (US$37.8m) and GBP30m (US$36.5m) funded by industry into
research on areas, such as securing turbines to the seabed, undersea cabling,
and developing foundation solutions. The country aims to extend its offshore
wind capacity to 51TWh in 2023, from 44TWh in 2022. In 2026, offshore wind
capacity is forecast to reach 85TWh in the UK.

The European
Commission approved a EUR2.08bn (US$2.23bn) fund in France to support a
floating offshore wind farm with an expected capacity of 230MW to 270MW. The project,
to be located off the coast of the South of Brittany, will be the first commercial
scale floating offshore wind farm in the country. It is expected to generate
1TWh of renewable electricity a year over 35 years.
The aid will
take the form of a monthly variable premium using the model of a two-way contract
for difference. Its beneficiary will be selected through a bidding process and
is due to be determined in the June quarter of 2023.
The French
government selected a site off the Belle-Ile-en-Mer island, south of Brittany,
to build the country’s first floating offshore wind farm. The fund will run for
20 years, commencing with the wind farm’s start-up in 2028.
The measure
aims to help France meet its target of producing 33% of its energy needs from
renewable sources by 2030. Last year, French President Macron raised the
country's offshore wind target to 40GW in operation by 2050, citing that this
would be around 50 projects. Annual tender volumes will also be raised from 1GW
to 2GW from 2025.
The country's
first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, the 480MW Saint-Nazaire project,
started full operations in November last year.

Germany,
Belgium and Netherlands are also planning to build artificial islands in the
North Sea. These new islands aim to produce green hydrogen and transmit
electricity to the shore. A joint offshore wind target of at least 65GW by 2030
and 150GW by 2050 has been pledged by these countries.
Belgium has
just presented plans to connect 3.5GW of offshore wind capacity to Princess
Elisabeth Island by 2026. Construction is expected to begin in 2024 by Belgian
transmission system operator Elia.
In addition to bringing offshore wind to shore,
the island will become a central hub for hybrid interconnectors between the UK
(Nautilus) and Denmark (TritonLink). A subsidy of EUR100m ($99.38m) has been
requested to the European Commission as part of the Belgium’s post-COVID-19
recovery plan.

Denmark’s
Minister of Climate has announced that the government will start auctions for
9GW of offshore wind this year. The plan on the framework of these tenders will
be negotiated next month with the goal of having the capacity in operation by
2030.
Additionally,
the government is studying how to allow developers to build more wind turbines
at the sites designated for tenders, which could increase the planned 9GW of
capacity, the minister mentioned.
Denmark and Germany lead the way
constructing the first offshore interconnection employing a combined grid
solution to offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea. The Kriegers Flak Combined
Grid Solution connects both countries via two offshore wind farms (German
Baltic 2 and Danish), proving 400MW of bi-directional transmission capacity.