It will be the largest wind farm ever built to date. The plant, which will rise approximately 89 kilometres off the coast of Yorkshire, has received the green light from the British government last Tuesday.

A 1.8 GW wind farm

Once completed, Hornsea Two will be capable of generating 1.8 GW of power, meeting the energy demand of 1.6 million English households. "Britain is a global leader in offshore wind, and we are determined to be one of the leading destinations for investment in renewable energy, which means jobs and economic growth across the country," said Greg Clark, Secretary of State for Business and Energy, in a statement.

The plant will be built by SmartWind, a subsidiary of Danish company Dong Energy. "We have already invested £6 billion in the United Kingdom," said Dong Energy's UK director Brent Cheshire in a statement, "and the Hornsea Two project gives us another exciting development opportunity in offshore wind."

The United Kingdom's energy policy

That wind energy makes up a substantial part of electricity generation in the United Kingdom is certainly no secret. In 2015 the wind component stood at around 11 per cent of the total. According to the British government, within ten years, a further 10 GW of capacity could be installed.

"Offshore wind is on track to meet 10 per cent of the United Kingdom's electricity demand by 2020. Projects like Hornsea Two will pave the way for continued growth and cost reduction, the creation of high-value jobs, and will support the United Kingdom's transition towards a low-carbon energy supply," stressed Huub den Rooijen, Director of Energy, Minerals and Infrastructure at the Crown Estate.

The plant fits into the country's energy policy, which aims to close coal-fired power stations by 2025, thereby increasing the share of energy coming from renewable sources. Today, a quarter of electricity comes from wind, solar and hydroelectric power.