Development consent for the Five Estuaries Offshore Wind Farm was confirmed on 17 December 2025. Minister Alan Whitehead signed the order on behalf of the Energy Secretary, approving an extension to the operational Galloper project off Suffolk and Essex. The consent covers up to 79 turbines and a maximum grid connection capacity of 1,080MW.

The application was submitted on 25 March 2024, accepted for examination on 23 April 2024, and the Examining Authority made its recommendation on 18 June 2025. The decision deadline was pushed to 17 December 2025 to consider further information before the order was made. This is the Planning Inspectorate’s 103rd energy decision completed within statutory timescales.

The scheme sits about 37 kilometres offshore and will make landfall at Sandy Point between Frinton‑on‑Sea and Holland‑on‑Sea. Underground cables will run to a new substation near Little Bromley, with a planned grid hook‑up at National Grid’s East Anglia Connection Node near Lawford in Essex.

Scale matters here. DESNZ’s decision allows for up to 79 turbines and a 1.08GW grid capacity, while earlier developer material described Five Estuaries as an extension to the 353MW Galloper wind farm. Final build‑out will be set at procurement and financing.

From a revenue standpoint, consent puts the project in position to compete for a Contract for Difference. AR7 has an offshore wind administrative strike price of £113/MWh in 2024 prices, with offshore and floating results scheduled for 14 January 2026, subject to final confirmations.

Grid timing is just as important as CfD timing. National Grid’s Norwich to Tilbury reinforcement-accepted for examination on 26 September 2025-includes a new East Anglia Connection Node on the Tendring Peninsula and is designed to move large volumes of East Anglia offshore wind into demand centres.

Connections reform should also help. NESO paused new connection applications from 29 January 2025 to implement a new readiness‑based queue, and has proposed a Progression Commitment Fee to deter stalled schemes-measures aimed at clearing space for shovel‑ready projects like offshore wind.

On the supply‑chain side, Five Estuaries is among seven projects identified by The Crown Estate’s Capacity Increase Programme to unlock up to 4.7GW across existing leases. Operations experience and local capability already exist nearby: Galloper’s O&M base at Harwich International Port supports around 60 direct roles.

RWE leads Five Estuaries alongside partners including a Macquarie‑led consortium, ESB and Sumitomo. With consent in place, the near‑term focus turns to CfD eligibility, grid dates from the Norwich–Tilbury process, and supply‑chain pricing before a final investment decision. We’ll be watching AR7 results on 14 January and the early milestones in the grid examination.