Hornsea 3’s first export cable reached the UK coast on March 26, 2026, marking a construction milestone—not the start of electricity generation. The 2.9-gigawatt offshore wind farm is still under construction, and Ørsted expects it to be completed around the end of 2027.
What happened to Hornsea 3’s first export cable?
A March 30, 2026 report by Interesting Engineering says the project’s first export cable was connected from the seabed to the UK coast on March 26. The report says Jan De Nul Group is carrying out subsea cable installation.
An export cable is part of the route that will carry electricity from offshore toward land. Reaching the coast is physical progress on that connection; it does not, by itself, establish that the wind farm is commissioned, connected to the grid for operation, or supplying customers.
Is Hornsea 3 already generating electricity?
The cable report describes a construction milestone, not commercial generation. Ørsted’s project page, accessed in 2026, says completion is expected around the end of 2027. That is the developer’s current stated expectation, not confirmation of a commissioning date or when power will begin flowing.
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How large is Hornsea 3?
Ørsted describes Hornsea 3 as the world’s largest single offshore wind farm. Its project page lists planned capacity of 2.9 gigawatts (GW), about 160 kilometres off the Yorkshire coast, and estimates that the project will generate enough renewable electricity to power more than 3.3 million UK homes. The capacity, location and household equivalent are developer figures, not independent measurements of operating output.
| Project | Planned capacity |
|---|---|
| Hornsea 1 | 1.2 GW |
| Hornsea 2 | 1.3 GW |
| Hornsea 3 | 2.9 GW |
Capacities are listed by Ørsted on its project pages, accessed in 2026. These are separate projects in the Hornsea zone; the comparison is by planned capacity, not current electricity production.
What is planned for jobs and operations?
Ørsted says Hornsea 3 will support up to 5,000 jobs during construction and up to 1,200 permanent jobs. The company also says it will operate the project from its operations and maintenance hub in Grimsby. These are Ørsted estimates and plans.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why do older Hornsea 3 figures differ?
In a February 12, 2018 planning update, Ørsted described Hornsea Project Three as being in development, with capacity of up to 2.4 GW, up to 300 turbines and a proposed connection point at Norwich Main National Grid Substation. Those figures describe historical plans. Ørsted’s current project page lists a planned capacity of 2.9 GW and expected completion around the end of 2027; the older planning details should not be treated as the current specification.
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Sources
- Interesting Engineering’s March 30, 2026 report on the cable milestone
- Ørsted’s Hornsea 3 project page
- Ørsted’s Hornsea 1 project page and Hornsea 2 project page
- Ørsted’s February 12, 2018 Hornsea Project Three planning update
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