Dong Energy has taken full control of the 4GW Hornsea offshore wind development zone in the UK North Sea via the purchase of rights to 3GW of capacity.

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The company acquired the Hornsea Zone, including the rights to the Hornsea Project Two and Three, from Mainstream Renewable Power and Siemens Financial Services.

Earlier this year, Dong acquired the full ownership of the 1.2GW Hornsea Project One after buying the 66.66% stake it did not already own in the scheme.

The Hornsea Zone lies between 31km and 190km off the Yorkshire coast with 4,735 km² of total area. It is one of the Crown Estate’s Round 3 offshore wind programme.

It is capable of meeting the energy needs of more than three million households in the UK and contribute to security of supply, helping combat climate change.

Hornsea’s offshore generation is expected to account for about 12% of the UK’s target of producing around 30% of energy from renewable sources.

Dong Energy executive vice president Samuel Leupold said: "We have already invested around £6 billion in the UK, and the Hornsea Zone provides us with new exciting development opportunities, not least because of the sheer size of the project in terms of acreage as well as the high generation potential.

"This will help us in our committed efforts to reduce costs of electricity and maintaining our position as global leader in offshore wind beyond 2020."


Image: The UK Government approved the Hornsea Project One in December 2014. Photo: courtesy of the Crown Estate.