Offshore Wind Farm Off Yorkshire Coast Given Go Ahead

An offshore wind project off the Yorkshire coast that is expected to bring up to 2,500 local jobs and millions of pounds’ worth of investment to the UK’s economy has today been given consent from the Government to go ahead.

Hornsea Project One will see three offshore wind farms being developed 64 miles off the coast of Yorkshire and will generate enough electricity to power more than 800,000 homes.

Local renewables expert Sam Pick says it's great news for our area. He told Viking FM:

"This is probably the single biggest project for the Humber's renewables industry and it's also the most important because there is a supply chain and Hornsea is the actual wind farm, it's the site and it's what we are all building and if these projects don't move forward, the likes of Siemens and Able and ABP don't really have anyone to sell wind turbines too.

"We are talking multi-billion pound contracts and one thing we need to make sure is that local businesses are given the opportunity to get into these work areas and projects so that the jobs go to local people. One thing there needs to be more work done on is seriously breaking down these supply chains and looking at wherever we can get a local business or a local person working on these projects, we do it without exception. It's important we don't just adopt a European procurement model where we bring in contractors from overseas or different parts of the country."

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said:

“With around 2,500 local green jobs on the horizon, this is another great boost for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. “Making the most of Britain’s home grown energy is crucial to creating job and business opportunities in the UK, getting the best deal for consumers and reducing our reliance on foreign imports. Wind power is vital to this plan, with £14.5 billion invested since 2010 into an industry which supports 35,400 jobs.”

Consent was provided on the condition that the project has an employment and skills plan approved by North Lincolnshire Council, which includes local advertising of jobs and supply chain opportunities and outreach employment presentations.

It has been shown that almost half of the costs associated with building and operating a wind farm is spent buying services and products from UK businesses. This translates into real jobs, particularly in areas like Yorkshire which is becoming an energy hub. Earlier this year Siemens and ABP announced a combined investment of £310 million to develop new wind turbine production and installation facilities in Hull, creating over 1,000 new jobs. This is one of the largest investments in the Humberside area in the last 50 years and clearly demonstrates that the UK is the leading market for the sector.