Ørsted has signed a lease agreement for up to 100,000 square metres at the Port of Tyne’s Clean Energy Park in South Shields to support the construction of its 2.9 gigawatt (GW) Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm, the company said on Thursday.
The leased area will serve as a marshalling base for secondary steel components, which will be loaded onto Cadeler’s Wind Orca jack-up vessel before being transported to the wind farm site, located approximately 160 kilometres off the Yorkshire coast.
Hornsea 3 is one of the UK’s largest renewable infrastructure projects, involving £8.5 billion in investment and featuring 197 wind turbines. Once operational, it is expected to be the world’s largest single offshore wind farm, with the capacity to power over three million homes.
“Projects like Hornsea 3 are central to delivering home-grown clean power, skilled jobs and economic growth,” said Jason Ledden, senior project director at Hornsea 3.
Ørsted said the development will contribute to UK energy security and provide a boost to domestic supply chains. The secondary steel components will be fabricated and supplied by Severfield and Smulders, which both operate manufacturing facilities on the River Tyne.
Port of Tyne chief executive Matt Beeton said the lease agreement represents a “significant milestone” for the port, reinforcing its role in the offshore wind sector.
North East mayor Kim McGuinness welcomed the investment, calling it a sign of “confidence in our region’s workforce and facilities.”
Hornsea 3 is the latest in Ørsted’s Hornsea zone of offshore wind developments and follows the completion of Hornsea 1 and Hornsea 2.
