Hornsea 3 by Ørsted: status and timeline

Milestones

Next · Turbine installation commences

Project consent granted2018Complete.
Ørsted takes final investment decision2023Complete.
Offshore installation and construction begins2024Complete.
Turbine installation contract awarded to Havfram Wind2023Complete.
Turbine installation commencesTarget Q4 2026Current milestone.
Project completion and grid connectionTarget Q4 2027Not yet reached.

Most important updates

Ørsted reports record H1 2026 renewable generation of 11.2 TWh; Hornsea 3 progressing on scheduleAug 2026
Ørsted sells 50% stake in Hornsea 3 to Apollo Global Management for $6.5 billionNov 2025

Upcoming

Q4 2026Turbine installation commences (next)
Q4 2027Project completion and grid connection

Current obstacles

North Sea weatherStorms, high waves, and currents stress equipment. Maintenance windows limited to calm periods.
Supply and logisticsGiant turbines require specialized fabrication, transport, and installation vessels. Lead times constrain pace.
Seasonal wind variationOutput peaks in autumn/winter, drops in spring/summer. Grid variability needs storage or backup.

Physics limits

Wind resource densityOnly certain offshore areas have sustained average wind speeds above 8-9 m/s, which are economical for utility-scale wind. Site availability limits future farm locations.
Turbine size physicsLarger turbines generate more power but face increasing blade stress and fatigue at rated wind speeds. Current 15 MW turbines are near the engineering limit without radical design changes.
Capacity factor ceilingEven in good wind sites, offshore wind capacity factors are 40-55%; solar is 15-25%. This means more turbines or storage are needed to replace a given fossil-fuel plant.

How it works

4 parts

Turbine design

15 MW offshore units

Large offshore turbines with 220 m+ rotors catch stronger winds. Wind spins blades and shaft to drive generators.

Foundations

Seabed anchoring

Monopile or jacket foundations anchor turbines. Submarine cables gather power and carry it to shore.

Grid connection

Power injection

Onshore substations step up power for the UK grid. Multiple connection points integrate with regional transmission.

Operations

Remote monitoring

Turbines monitored 24/7 for performance and wear. Technicians dispatched by boat or helicopter for maintenance.

Spec sheet

Spec	Hornsea 3
Total installed capacity	2.9 GW^R (reported)
Expected annual generation	~10 TWh^E (estimated)
UK homes powered	3.3 million^R (reported)
Annual CO2 emissions avoided	2.4 million tonnes^R (reported)
Distance from Yorkshire coast	160 km^R (reported)
Installation water depth	25-45 m^R (reported)
Estimated number of turbines	~200 (15 MW class)^E (estimated)

^R reported by the company · ^E our estimate

Update log

2 updates

Aug 2026

Major: Ørsted reports record H1 2026 renewable generation of 11.2 TWh; Hornsea 3 progressing on schedulePressCommercial

Nov 2025

Major: Ørsted sells 50% stake in Hornsea 3 to Apollo Global Management for $6.5 billionPressCommercial

About Ørsted

The team behind Hornsea 3

Ørsted

Offshore wind developer, Hornsea, Denmark

World's largest offshore wind developer. Operates wind farms across Northern Europe and the US, plus onshore wind, solar and thermal assets. Hornsea 3 (2.9 GW) under construction off Yorkshire coast.

World's largest offshore wind developer by number of built farms.
H1 2026: 11.2 TWh renewable output, 23% up YoY.
Hornsea 3 (2.9 GW) completes end of 2027.

orsted.com (opens orsted.com)Company profile →

Founded: 200620 yrs
Headquarters: Denmark
Status: Public
Valuation: public
Works in: EnergyWind
Coverage: 1 program · 2 updateslatest 1 Aug 2026checked 11 Oct
Investors: Apollo Global Management (opens energyintel.com)
People: Rasmus Errboe (opens orsted.com)CEOLene Skole (opens orsted.com)Chairman

Spec

Hornsea 3

Total installed capacity

2.9 GW^R (reported)

Expected annual generation

~10 TWh^E (estimated)

UK homes powered

3.3 million^R (reported)

Annual CO2 emissions avoided

2.4 million tonnes^R (reported)

Distance from Yorkshire coast

160 km^R (reported)

Installation water depth

25-45 m^R (reported)

Estimated number of turbines

~200 (15 MW class)^E (estimated)