The UK Government has granted approval for the construction of the Outer Dowsing offshore wind farm in the southern North Sea.

Situated 54km from the Lincolnshire coast, the project is being developed by TotalEnergies, Gulf Development, and Corio Generation and its affiliates.

It is expected to become a significant contributor to the UK's renewable energy sector with a capacity of 1.5GW.

The approved plan will see the establishment of up to 100 turbines and supporting offshore and onshore infrastructure.

The generated power will be transported via underground onshore cables from a landfall site near Anderby Marsh, north of Skegness, to a new substation at Surfleet Marsh in south Lincolnshire.

This decision to proceed follows a recommendation by the Planning Inspectorate, which conducted a comprehensive evaluation that included feedback from local communities and stakeholders.

The project is expected to inject around £2bn into the UK economy throughout its duration, possibly exceeding 35 years. It is also projected to create more than 1,000 jobs during the construction phase, along with numerous operations and maintenance roles.

TotalEnergies UK country chair Nicolas Payer said: “TotalEnergies is delighted that the Outer Dowsing offshore wind project has reached this important milestone. TotalEnergies has been a long-term investor in this project, which will make a significant contribution to providing low-carbon power to homes and businesses across the UK.”

Construction preparations are set to continue following the consent. Upon completion, Outer Dowsing will be capable of generating enough renewable electricity to cover the yearly consumption of more than 1.6 million households.

This development aligns with the UK Government's goals to achieve 50GW of offshore wind energy by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.