The world's largest offshore wind farm is to be built off the coast of England, the U.K. government announced on Wednesday.
Construction is set to commence after DONG Energy's board of directors confirmed a "positive final investment decision" for the Hornsea One offshore wind farm.
The U.K.'s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said that the wind farm will have a capacity of 1.2 gigawatts and be able to power more than one million homes.
This would make Hornsea One the world's biggest offshore windfarm "by a considerable margin."
According to the DECC, the construction phase of the project has the potential to generate roughly 2,000 jobs, with as many as 300 extra jobs supported through its 20-25 year operational phase.
"This project means secure, clean energy for the country, jobs and financial security for working people and their families," energy secretary Amber Rudd said in a news release.
The development will be the world's first offshore wind farm with a capacity greater than one gigawatt, DONG Energy said.
"It is ground-breaking and innovative, powering more homes than any offshore wind farm currently in operation," Brent Cheshire, DONG Energy's U.K. country chairman, said in news release.
"To have the world's biggest ever offshore wind farm located off the Yorkshire coast is hugely significant and highlights the vital role offshore wind will play in the UK's need for new low-carbon energy," he went on to add.
The U.K. is a world leader in offshore wind. According to the European Wind Energy Association, it has "the largest amount of installed offshore wind capacity in Europe."
