Ørsted wins nod for utility-scale battery linked to Hornsea 3 wind farm

The South Norfolk Council in England has given the green light to Denmark Ørsted A/S’ (CPH:ORSTED) plan to build a utility-scale battery energy storage facility for its 2,852-MW Hornsea 3 offshore wind project in the UK North Sea.

The project was approved unanimously on Wednesday despite concerns from local residents regarding fire hazards.

The developer’s proposal is to co-locate a battery energy storage system using lithium-ion technology with the future wind farm’s onshore substation at Swardeston, south of Norwich in eastern England. The installation will cover 35 acres (14.2 hectares). Once up and running, the battery facility will store electricity from Hornsea 3 and feed it into the UK’s national power grid when needed.

“In the transition to clean energy, storage is a key component of a smarter, more flexible energy system. With planning permission now in place, we will continue to work alongside local stakeholders and our chosen suppliers to finalize designs,” Ørsted said.

To be located 160 km (99 miles) off the Yorkshire coast and slated for commissioning in 2027, Hornsea 3 is expected to produce enough power for 3.2 million UK homes. The project in July 2022 emerged as one of the winners in the fourth allocation round of the UK government’s Contract for Difference (CfD) scheme. Along with Hornsea 1 and 2, it forms the Hornsea zone which will have a capacity of over 5 GW.

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