About the project

Creating a world that runs entirely on green energy

Project Facts

Location: Ørsted is proposing to develop Hornsea Four, 69km (at its closest point) off the Yorkshire Coast.

Size: We are currently investigating an offshore area of up to 492 km2 where up to 180 wind turbines could be located.

Ørsted is a renewable energy company that takes tangible action to create a world that runs entirely on green energy.

With 12 operational UK offshore wind farms, one in construction and another two in development, we are a substantial investor in the UK. We are committed for the long-term, both to leading the change to green energy and to investing in the communities where we work.

Build a career at the forefront of the green energy transition. Read more

In August 2015, we acquired the rights to develop the Hornsea zone from SMart Wind Ltd, who were originally awarded the zone in The Crown Estate Round 3 bid process.

To date, Hornsea 1 and Hornsea 2 are in operation, and Hornsea 3 is currently in construction.

We are now seeking to develop a fourth project in the zone, Hornsea 4. The project was granted consent by the Secretary of State for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero in July 2023.

Ørsted announced in May 2025 that it was going to discontinue Hornsea 4 in its previous form. The decision was driven by many factors, mainly higher costs, higher interest rates and higher risk to construct and operate the wind farm at that time. Given these considerations, the decision was taken to pause construction of the wind farm.

However, since then, our team has been hard at work exploring how it might be possible to reconfigure the project to be able to bring it forward in the future. Many of the aspects of the project that are necessary to deliver the project in the future are still active such as the sea bed rights, grid connection agreement and Development Consent Order.

Map of the proposed Hornsea 4 Offshore Wind Farm

Delivering seabird compensation measures

Seabird Restoration project

As part of our Development Consent Order commitment, Ørsted is delivering the Seabird Restoration Project in the Channel Islands to compensate for any potential impacts to guillemot from Hornsea 4. Guillemots are a dark brown and white seabird that live at sea, only coming ashore to nest. Their populations are declining in the UK as a result of climate change and prey shortages. Guillemot populations found in the Channel Islands are part of the albionis species, the same as those found in the North Sea. This suggests that guillemot from North Sea colonies, where the Hornsea 4 offshore wind farm will be located, likely migrate through or disperse to the Channel Islands. The aim of the Seabird Restoration Project is to eradicate non-native, invasive predatory rats on the islands to boost the population of breeding guillemots. While the primary focus is on protecting the common guillemot, the programme is also expected to bring wider benefits to the ecosystem - boosting populations of other seabirds such as puffin, Manx shearwater, storm petrel, and razorbill. Work on the project will start in October 2026 and is likely to run for up to 35 years, the same lifespan as Hornsea 4.

Kittiwake artificial nesting structure

To compensate for potential impacts to kittiwakes, Ørsted built an artificial nesting structure in Hartlepool, northeast England which could be home to more than 1,000 kittiwakes. The nesting site is made up of one tower about 35 ft high and four cabin-like buildings. The nests themselves are around 9 ft off the ground, protecting the seabirds from any predators. The artificial nesting structures currently include around 100 3D-printed artificial kittiwakes, in the hope that this will attract more of the real-life species. The birds which choose to nest at the site will be monitored and observed for the duration of the projects.

Credit: Alderney Wildlife Trust

Engagement with stakeholders

Aligned with Hornsea Four's ethos of ‘Commit, Consult, Design’, we have sought to engage actively and openly with a range of key stakeholders throughout the pre-application phase (June 2018 to September 2021). How we have consulted and had consideration for comments received and incorporated these into the final design of the project is reported in the Consultation Report, available on the Planning Inspectorate website.

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