The extension, which has received consent from the UK Government’s Energy Secretary in February 2013, will be constructed more than 7km from shore and will cover nearly 8km2.
To be operational in 2015, the project will generate enough electricity to power around 42,000 UK households, besides the existing Kentish Flats offshore wind farm.
In May 2010, The Crown Estate had offered an opportunity to Vattenfall to extend the 30-turbine Kentish Flats wind farm, which is located around 8.5 to 13km north of Herne Bay and Whitstable in Kent.
The existing wind project is comprised of 30x3MW Vestas turbines that are expected to generate more than 280GWh of green electricity every year, which is enough to power more than 61,000 UK households.
Vattenfall project manager for the scheme Matthew Green said the company’s investment decision is the final hurdle that needs to be cleared prior to begin construction in 2015.
"It’s good to get that and I’m looking forward to leading the construction team over the next two and a half years," Green added.
"We will now complete a period of intense detailed engineering and planning for the construction phase in 2015."
