Summary
From pioneering the world’s first offshore wind farm in Denmark in 1991 to delivering the world’s largest today, Ørsted has led the offshore wind revolution. Hornsea 3, their third gigawatt-scale project in the Hornsea zone, will deliver 2.9GW of green energy — enough to power over 3 million UK homes.
This nationally significant project, located 160 km off Yorkshire and 120 km off Norfolk, will make a substantial contribution to UK energy security, the government’s net zero targets, and the wider economy, with up to £8.5 billion of investment and thousands of jobs created.
As part of the onshore infrastructure works, we supplied ENA TS 12-24 C1+ ClearDuct beadless ducting to protect the high-voltage export cables that will connect Hornsea 3 into the National Grid.
Project task
Building the world’s biggest offshore wind farm came with demanding challenges:
Export cable integrity – Multiple 220kV export circuits needed reliable protection to ensure safe pulling and long-term durability.
Large-scale installation – With a 38km+ onshore cable route, efficiency and consistency were essential.
Ground conditions – Agricultural land, road, and railway crossings required trenching, joint bays, and horizontal directional drilling (HDD).
Standards compliance – All ducting had to meet National Grid’s stringent ENA TS 12-24 C1+ requirements.
Solution
We worked closely with Ørsted’s delivery partners, including VolkerFitzpatrick, to supply ENA TS 12-24 C1+ ClearDuct beadless ducting. Our contribution ensured reliable protection for the HV export cables from landfall to the new onshore substation.
Key benefits delivered:
Certified compliance – fully approved to ENA TS 12-24 C1+, guaranteeing National Grid connection standards were met.
Beadless smooth bore – reduced friction during long cable pulls, especially across HDD sections, minimising installation risk.
Durability – PE construction provided resilience against abrasion, impact, and water ingress across challenging ground conditions.
Installation efficiency – lightweight, flexible ducting supported rapid deployment and reduced handling requirements.
Future resilience – protecting export cables that will operate for decades as part of the UK’s clean energy backbone.
Impact
Hornsea 3 will:
Generate 2.9GW of clean electricity, enough to power over 3 million homes.
Deliver £8.5 billion in local, national, and global supply chain investment.
Create thousands of high-skilled jobs during construction and long-term O&M.
Strengthen the UK’s position as a world leader in offshore wind.
Our ducting played a small but critical role in securing the reliability of the project’s export cable system — ensuring that the world’s biggest offshore wind farm can safely and efficiently deliver green energy to the grid.
