UK Postpones Permit Decision for 1.5 GW Outer Dowsing Offshore Wind Farm

The UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has postponed its decision on granting a Development Consent Order (DCO) for the 1.5 GW Outer Dowsing Offshore Wind Farm. The decision, initially expected on 10 October 2025, will now be made after additional consultations are completed.

According to the UK Planning Inspectorate, comments from interested stakeholders on the project remain open until 5 November 2025, extending the timeline for public engagement and representations on the large-scale offshore wind proposal.

Project Background and Scope

The Outer Dowsing Offshore Wind Farm is being developed through a joint venture between TotalEnergies, Corio Generation, and Gulf Energy Development. The DCO application, submitted in March 2024, outlines the full scope of the proposed project, located approximately 54 kilometres off the Lincolnshire coast.

The development includes plans for up to 100 wind turbines, subsea and underground transmission cables running from a landfall site near Anderby Marsh to a new onshore substation at Surfleet Marsh. The power generated would then be transmitted via connections to existing National Grid overhead lines at Weston Marsh.

Engineering and Site Works

In May that year, Wood Thilsted was selected as the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) turbine foundation designer, responsible for the structural design and optimisation of the offshore foundations. 

Around the same time, Rovco was appointed to conduct site characterisation and geophysical surveys to inform the detailed design and environmental assessments.

These early appointments underscore the developers’ commitment to ensuring technical readiness and minimising environmental impacts in line with UK offshore wind permitting standards.

Strategic Importance and Capacity

Once completed, the 1.5 GW Outer Dowsing Offshore Wind Farm is expected to become one of the largest offshore wind projects in the UK. Its capacity would be sufficient to supply electricity to more than 1.6 million households, contributing significantly to national renewable energy targets and supporting the UK government’s ambition to achieve up to 50 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030.

However, the permitting delay introduces uncertainty regarding project timelines, especially in the context of a tightening offshore supply chain and competitive offshore wind development schedule across the North Sea region.

Stakeholders will be watching closely as the DCO consultation progresses toward the revised decision date later this year.