World's largest offshore windfarm to be built off Yorkshire coast

DONG Energy given go-ahead for 1.2-gigawatt project that will power more than a million UK homes

The UK wind energy industry received a boost on Wednesday with the announcement of the world's biggest offshore windfarm, to be built off the north-east coast.

Dong Energy said its multi-billion pound Hornsea project, which is expected when complete to power as many as 1m homes in the region, will occupy more than 400 square kilometres, situated about 120km off the Yorkshire coast.

The company, which has already put 6bn into wind power in the UK, said this was its largest investment in offshore wind to date. Dong, Denmark's state-backed energy utility, told the Guardian it expected to invest another 6bn in the UK by 2020, in a fillip to the beleaguered wind industry.

Brent Cheshire, chief executive of Dong Energy in the UK, said: "We are making a major financial investment to construct this giant windfarm and this underlines our commitment to the UK market. Hornsea Project One will support the supply chain and help create local jobs.