Britain’s Five Estuaries Offshore Wind Farm has cleared its final planning hurdle. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero granted development consent on 17 December 2025 after a six‑month examination, confirming the project as an extension to the operational Galloper wind farm. The decision was signed by Energy Minister Alan Whitehead.

The consent sets a wide project envelope: up to 79 turbines and a grid connection capacity of up to 1.08GW off the Suffolk and Essex coasts. Earlier public material referenced “in excess of 300MW”, reflecting the scheme’s original framing as a Galloper extension; today’s decision formalises a higher ceiling following sector‑wide capacity reviews of extension projects.

What that means for electricity supply is substantial. Using Ofgem’s updated typical domestic consumption of 2,700 kWh a year and government assumptions for modern offshore load factors, a 300MW build equates to roughly 370,000–480,000 homes. If constructed at the new consented envelope, it could supply about 1.3–1.7 million homes, depending on final configuration and performance.

Five Estuaries will be sited around 37 kilometres from the Suffolk coast, making landfall at Sandy Point between Frinton‑on‑Sea and Holland‑on‑Sea in Tendring. From there, underground export cables run to a new onshore substation west of Little Bromley, with connection into National Grid’s East Anglia Connection Node as part of the Norwich to Tilbury project. The application also includes ducts to enable a separate, parallel project to share trenches and limit repeat disruption.

The Planning Inspectorate notes this was the 103rd energy application it has examined, completed within statutory timescales under the Planning Act 2008. Local residents, councils and statutory bodies were able to submit evidence during the six‑month examination before the Examining Authority recommended approval on 18 June 2025.

The timeline did require extra time at the end. In September the Secretary of State extended the decision deadline from 17 September to 17 December 2025 to request further information and allow comment. That process is now complete and the consent stands.

Attention now turns to financing and delivery. Contracts for Difference (CfD) remain the key route to market; government has proposed longer contract terms and budget changes to keep projects investable, with the next auction expected in 2025 and additional funding signalled for offshore wind. These measures are designed to counter cost pressures seen across the sector.

The project also carries weight for national targets. Government planning documents set a 2030 offshore wind range of 43–50GW. The Climate Change Committee estimates reaching even the lower end requires around 4.5GW added each year on average through the next auctions-so consents like Five Estuaries help, but grid reinforcement, ports and supply chains must keep pace.

Environmental safeguards are part of the programme for UK extension sites. The Crown Estate’s plan‑level Habitats Regulations Assessment considers cumulative effects, while Five Estuaries’ proposals include habitat improvements for lesser black‑backed gulls at Orford Ness and coordination with the neighbouring North Falls scheme to reduce duplicated landfall works. Detailed plans will now be finalised through the DCO’s requirements.

For communities and businesses, the practical work begins. Expect consultations on the discharge of DCO requirements-covering traffic, construction and ecology-to be advertised via the National Infrastructure Planning project page and local authority portals. Supply‑chain and skills opportunities will be led by the developer, with RWE heading a consortium alongside a Macquarie‑led fund, ESB and Sumitomo.