It’s been a significant year for our offshore wind operation. Our offshore wind business is part of a hugely successful and growing UK industry, providing a substantial source of green energy for the nation, as well as providing opportunities to export products and services overseas – creating high quality jobs across the country and a thriving supply chain for businesses.
In May, we completed work on our Burbo Bank Extension wind farm, featuring the world’s biggest offshore turbines, opened a new £6million base on the Wirral to support its operation and took our first steps into battery storage.
In July, the first ever wind turbine blades manufactured at the Siemens blade factory in Hull were fitted at our Race Bank project, off the coast of North Norfolk.
August saw the first power generated at our 659MW Walney Extension, off the Cumbrian coast, which will become the world’s largest operational wind farm on its completion next year – as well as being the first offshore wind project to combine the latest technology from two different turbine manufacturers.
And just last month, we were awarded a contract to build an even larger offshore wind farm – Hornsea Project Two – at the lowest ever £/MWh price of £57.50, which is more than a 50% reduction on the previous round of contracts. This project alone will be capable of bringing green energy to more than 1.5 million UK homes, supporting more than 2,000 jobs throughout its construction and up to a further 130 permanent jobs during its long-term operation.
We are also nearing completion of our world first bio-energy plant in Northwich. The project is a brand-new waste treatment facility, which will separate recyclable materials from household waste and generate green electricity at the same time. The plant will use our patented REnescience technology and will be the first full-scale bio-energy plant in the world capable of handling household waste through enzymes, mechanical sorting and anaerobic digestion.
Outgrowing our roots
A company name is a snapshot of what that organisation stands for and should embody the spirit, direction or ambition of that business.
With our new name comes a renewed determination and we are taking real steps to help drive the green energy transformation. We know there is even more work to do if we are to realise our ambition and vision to create a world that runs entirely on green energy.
Our journey on this green transformation means that our old name no longer fits – for obvious reasons – so we’re changing it. We’ve outgrown our fossil fuel roots (DONG Energy stood for Danish Oil and Natural Gas). We have divested our upstream oil and gas business, we have decided to stop all use of coal and we have become the world’s largest developer of offshore wind.
Our new name is Ørsted (pronounced Ur-sted), after Danish scientist Hans Christian Ørsted who helped lay the foundations 200-years-ago for the way we produce power today. He spearheaded several key scientific discoveries, including the discovery of electromagnetism in 1820.
Inspired by his curiosity, innovation and dedication, we think this new name truly reflects our transformation into a fully-fledged renewable energy company and the path we have already begun laying for our future direction.
For us, Ørsted reflects where we have come from and, indeed, where we are going on our green transformation mission. We hope Hans Christian Ørsted would be proud of the innovative and pioneering spirit that drives the company which now bears his name.
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