The government has approved the development of the largest offshore windfarm in the world, Hornsea Project Two.

Situated off the Yorkshire coast, the windfarm will have a 1.8GW capacity and will be made up of 300 turbines. The project is owned by Dong Energy and will be developed by Smart Wind.

Greg Clark, Business and Energy Secretary has now approved the plans and has given government consent for the project in its entirety, including export cables, array cables, offshore and onshore substations, foundations and turbines.

Clark commented: “The UK’s offshore wind industry has grown at an extraordinary rate over the last few years, and is a fundamental part of our plans to build a clean, affordable, secure energy system.

“Britain is a global leader in offshore wind, and we’re determined to be one of the leading destinations for investment in renewable energy, which means jobs and economic growth right across the country.”

Meanwhile, Brent Cheshire, UK County Chairman at Dong Energy said that the development of the second phase of the Hornsea project is most welcome and will build on the company’s £6 billion investment in the UK so far, providing a further exciting development opportunity in offshore wind.

The company believed that a project of this size will help them in their efforts to keep cutting the cost of electricity from offshore wind and illustrates their commitment to UK investment.

Huub den Rooijen, Crown Estate Director of Energy, Minerals and Infrastructure, said that offshore wind is already on course to meet 10% of electricity demand in the UK by 2020.

He added that major developments on the same scale as the Hornsea Project Two will result in a continuation of growth along with a reduction in costs that will create high value jobs and support the UK’s transition to a low carbon energy supply.