North Falls Offshore Wind Farm receives development consent
North Falls Offshore Wind Farm (North Falls) has today (14 May 2026) received development consent on behalf of the UK Energy Secretary.
North Falls is being developed as a 50/50 joint venture by RWE Offshore Wind (RWE) and SSE Renewables (SSER) and is a proposed extension to the southern array of the existing 504 megawatt (MW) Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm – also a 50/50 joint venture between SSE and RWE, with SSE operating the wind farm on behalf of the joint venture partners.
North Falls’ Development Consent Order (DCO) allows for the construction of up to 57 wind turbine generators and their associated foundations, and up to two offshore substation platforms and their associated foundation – all located within a 90-square-kilometre offshore Project area approximately 40 kilometres from the East Anglia coast at its nearest point.
Offshore export cables would transport electricity from the offshore Project area to landfall near Kirby Brook, Essex. Onshore export cables would then transport the electricity in a broadly westerly direction approximately 24 kilometres to a new onshore substation located west of Little Bromley, near Ardleigh, before entering the national electricity network via National Grid’s East Anglia Connection Node.
With a maximum installed generating capacity of up to one gigawatt (GW), North Falls would be capable of generating enough clean, low carbon electricity to power the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of typical UK homes each year. It would be capable of making an important contribution to the long term security of home-generated UK electricity, while furthering the nation’s transition towards a decarbonized power system..
Project Director, Andy Paine, commented: “We’re delighted to have received development consent and look forward to moving ahead with the next phase of development.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Essex community for their input over the past six years. Their feedback, and feedback from other key stakeholders, like Essex County Council and Tendring District Council, has helped us refine and adapt our proposals to create the best possible Project.”
North Falls will continue to keep people fully informed on the Project’s progress in the coming months and years.
You can register to receive Project updates here.
You can view the Secretary of State’s decision letter here .
