Ørsted to host community events to update on construction plans for Hornsea 3 offshore windfarm and £7million Community Fund

Leading renewable energy firm Ørsted will host a series of local information events to give an update on the Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm. An additional series of events will also be held to unveil more information on the proposed £7million Community Benefit Fund linked to the project.
Hornsea 3 will consist of up to 231 offshore wind turbines and will be located in the North Sea, approximately 121km off the Norfolk coast and 160km off the Yorkshire coast. The project, which was granted development consent by the Government in December 2020, will be capable of providing clean electricity to more than 3 million UK homes.

The first series of events, from January 25th until February 15th, will give an overview of activity ahead of the start of construction for the planned 2.85 Gigawatt (GW) windfarm, as well as providing an opportunity for residents to meet the team and discuss the project in more detail.

A total of eight Community Information Events will be spread across local parishes along the projects onshore cable route:

Wednesday 25 January, 11am - 7pm, Norwich Blackfriars Hall, St Andrews Hall Plain, Norwich
Friday 27 January, 11am - 7pm, Holt Community Centre, Kerridge Way, Holt
Tuesday 31 January, 11am - 7pm, Mulbarton Village Hall, The Common, Mulbarton
Friday 3 February, 11am - 7pm, Cawston Village Hall, Cawston, Norwich
Thursday 9 February, 11am - 7pm, The Bure Valley Community Centre, The St, Itteringham
Friday 10 February, 11am - 7pm, Hall for All, Church Street, Weston Longville
Monday 13 February, 11am - 7pm, Easton College, Bawburgh Road, Norwich, Norfolk
Wednesday 15 February, 1pm - 7pm, Weybourne Village Hall, Beach Lane, Weybourne,

Ørsted is committed to making a positive impact in the communities where they construct and operate their offshore wind farms and other projects. Ørsted has therefore committed to providing a Hornsea 3 Community Fund, worth £700,000 each year for an initial 10-year period – subject to Ørsted making a positive Financial Investment Decision on the project.

The boundary for the proposed Hornsea 3 Community Fund will start at the Lincolnshire/Norfolk county boundary and follow along a 5km coastal strip to just south of Lowestoft in Suffolk. In addition, there is a 5km zone which follows the route of the proposed electrical cabling that will connect to the main Electricity Grid.

A second series of events focussed on the Fund will be held in February, inviting residents to find out more about the grants available and to discuss their own ideas with the team. Once established, the fund will be independently administered by GrantScape and a Grant Panel will be established to review funding applications and decide which projects to support. GrantScape already administers the full portfolio of Ørsted’s three established CBF’s across England and Wales. To date, over £8M has been awarded to community, environmental and educational projects around the UK.

The Community Benefit Fund events are planned for:

Wednesday 1st February, 12pm – 3pm, South Lynn Community Centre, St Michael’s Road, Kings Lynn,
Wednesday 1st February, 5pm – 8.30pm, Stimpson’s Place, Bartle Court off Station Road, Reepham
Thursday 2nd February, 11am – 3pm, Wells Maltings (Clore Community Studio), Staithe Street, Wells-next-the-Sea
Thursday 7th February, 12pm – 3pm, Swardeston Village Hall, High Common, Swardeston
Thursday 7th February, 5pm – 8.30pm, Imperial Hotel, North Drive, Great Yarmouth
Wednesday 8 February, 11am – 3pm, The Grit, Lowestoft Arts and Heritage Centre, Old Nelson Street, Lowestoft
Tuesday 21st February, 12pm – 3pm, Holt Community Centre, Kerridge Way, Holt,
Tuesday 21st February, 5pm – 8.30pm, The Lighthouse Community Church, Cromer Road, Sheringham
Wednesday 22nd February, 12.30pm – 4.30pm, Coronation Hall, Cromer Road, Mundesley


For those who cannot attend the Community Fund drop-in events in person, two virtual events are also being held, between 10am and 7pm, on Thursday 16 February and Friday 17 February. To book a session at the virtual event email hornseathree@grantscape.org.uk

Imran Nawaz, Senior Stakeholder Advisor and Community Benefit Fund Manager at Ørsted, said: “Offshore wind will play a central role in the UK’s shift to clean energy and, once complete, Hornsea 3 will provide a significant source of clean electricity to UK homes and businesses. Throughout development, construction and operation of our projects, we place a strong focus on community engagement and leaving a lasting positive legacy. These events are aimed at keeping the local community informed and also giving opportunity for questions and discussion.”

For more information on the Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm visit hornseaproject3.co.uk