A cornerstone of the UK government's climate and clean energy targets, Hornsea 3 is Ørsted's third gigawatt-scale project in the Hornsea zone that it has been developing since 2015.
Located 120km off the Norfolk coast, it will deliver enough green energy to power more than 3.3 million UK homes, with a generating capacity of 2.9GW.
With thousands of people across the supply chain working on the project from the UK to Asia, the top priority for managing director Luke Bridgman is making sure the work is carried out safely, while aiming to deliver up to £8.5bn to the local, national and global economy through supply chain investment and the creation of thousands of highly skilled jobs.
But Hornsea 3 hasn't been without its challenges, with installation scaled up for next-generation turbines and project complexities unlike anything else Luke has worked on. Being responsible for the health and wellbeing of thousands of people also weighs heavy on the project's managing director
"For me, being the person who is accountable for the health and safety of every person that comes onto Hornsea 3 is a big responsibility, and definitely the thing that I think most about," said Luke.
"We do such complex work, and we're reliant on a lot of people making good decisions in difficult circumstances. The idea of someone getting seriously hurt, or even worse, on my watch is something that really worries me.
"That's why we put so much effort into aspects such as mental health and wellbeing – to ensure that we are pulling every lever on top of the conventional aspects of health and safety to ensure people always get home safe.
"Hornsea 3 is such a big project, it's never far from my mind how critical it is for Ørsted as we deliver on plans to build back our position as the global leader in offshore wind. Keeping our programme on track, managing our budget and delivering a quality asset to our partners in operations is vital.
READ MORE: Foundations for turbines of world's largest offshore wind farm installed
"We put a lot of focus on clarity, roles, responsibilities and expectations. Regular alignment across all key suppliers is essential; strong relationships matter more than what's in a contract, and transparency on risks and progress keeps everyone moving together."
Innovation and technology have been key to making sure projects of the scale of Hornsea are viable.
"It all started with us delivering the first of a kind ornithological compensation with our artificial nesting structures for kittiwakes. It seems so long ago now, but without those, we would not have had a project to build now!
"The rapid escalation in technology is critical to the success of a project like Hornsea 3. It wouldn't have been possible to deliver Hornsea 3 with the technology choices, at the cost of energy we have, only a few years ago."
Luke said the heart of the transmission system – the HVDC converters – are the most impressive pieces of technology.
"Standing in the valve hall looking up at the valves, knowing the level of technology in their control systems never ceases to amaze me.
"The size of an offshore wind farm is hard to grasp. Of course, when you're in the industry you know, but unless you've stood next to a 2,000-tonne foundation, a 15MW nacelle or a 115m long blade, or stood on the deck of a next generation jack-up vessel, you really have no idea of the scale!"
No two days are the same for Luke Bridgman, managing director of Hornsea 3 (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)
Luke said he liked to think of leadership as being about three things: setting the direction, aligning people to that direction and motivating them to deliver – all of which is underpinned by trust.
"Most of the other skills you need, such as emotional intelligence, a cool head under pressure, communication skills, empathy and care, are all tools I use day in day out to help achieve those three things."
Maintaining a positive value-creating business case for Ørsted, considering the geopolitical and macroeconomic headwinds the business has faced, alongside getting the project through the final investment decision (FID), has been challenging, but the goal of finishing what he has started has kept Luke motivated.
"Doing that has been a hallmark of my career and something I take great personal pride in.
"There are constant milestones coming and going, and small wins along the way so it doesn't get boring. Being there at the project's completion, able to look back at the work our team has achieved together, the way people have grown and developed through their time on the project once it's finished, that's something that keeps me coming back day after day until the end."
What's a typical day for the managing director of Hornsea 3?
"A typical day doesn't exist – that's what I love about my job. So, a typical day is where something new pops up that I hadn't expected," said Luke.
"I spend a lot of time on the road and in the air, with a team spread across the UK, Europe and the globe. I'm connecting with our team, our supply chain partners and other stakeholders such as regulatory partners and our joint venture partners. It's never a dull day.
"I focus on understanding our key risks, decisions and where I can unblock progress to help our team succeed."
READ MORE: 'Major milestone' for world's largest wind farm off the Norfolk coast
Born and raised in Australia, Luke achieved a degree in electrical engineering, electrical systems, control system and power from RMIT University in Melbourne and spent several years working in the energy industry until he took a job as a senior offshore project engineer at Senvion UK in Scotland, and later at Dong Energy.
He gained an MSc in project management from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen before joining Ørsted in 2014. As former deputy director for engineering procurement and construction on Hornsea 2, he has huge expertise in the safe delivery of wind farms.
A father of two young daughters, Luke cycles to work from his home in Hackney and enjoys running – with his running shoes accompanying him whenever he travels across the globe.
"I didn't even think I could be doing something like this when I started my career. I've got to a place that honestly, I didn't even know existed. So, I feel genuinely privileged to be here.
"I studied engineering at university, and although I probably never saw myself being a technical specialist all my life, I would say that my job now is a lot less about technical detail, more about people and decisions than I would have anticipated."
His advice to young people interested in offshore wind careers would be to avoid playing it safe.
"Stay curious and keep learning – say yes to as many opportunities as you can. Build both technical capability and experience and people skills. Take opportunities across different roles, projects and geographies.
"Being part of an industry which allows us to keep progressing, developing, evolving, but doing it in a sustainable way, minimising our impact and supporting a brighter future for our children is really important to me.
"Additionally, from a technology perspective, it's just cool. It's massive: the challenges, the innovation. We're pushing the boundaries of what's possible. That's amazing!
"I'm an engineering nerd at heart, so getting to come to work each day with a team of amazing humans solving immense technical challenges definitely gets me out of bed with a spring in my step!"
Supply chain specialisms
Ørsted is helping boost the regional supply chain in East Anglia according to its UK Supply Chain Map 2026.
The map (pictured below) shows 35 companies in East Anglia (14% of the map's total) working in partnership with Ørsted.
A map showing the UK companies working with Ørsted (Image: Ørsted)
It found that East Anglia has developed particular specialisms for the offshore wind industry in consultancy services, vessels, site investigations, operations and maintenance, civil engineering and construction, and environmental impact assessments.
One of the firms featuring in the UK Supply Chain Map 2026 is Norwich-based Ordtek, part of Venterra Group, which was founded in 2012.
It has grown from a team of five employees when it first started working with Ørsted to around 20, with the company providing advice on reducing the risk of disturbing unexploded military weapons during offshore construction.
One of Ordtek's inspection divers (Image: Stephen Donohoe/Ordtek)
Keith Higgins, specialist consultant at Ordtek, said: "Our two companies have gone through a learning curve together as the offshore wind industry has grown and matured.
"Through years of experience working with Ørsted, we've established ways of working that are much more formalised and standardised."
Other companies in East Anglia that feature in the map include Lowestoft-based Northern Offshore Services, which supplies vessels for Hornsea 3 and has worked with Ørsted for many years, as well as marine contractor Red7 Marine in Great Yarmouth and Cambridge-based environmental impact assessor NIRAS Group, both of which worked on Hornsea 3's artificial nesting sites for kittiwakes.
This story is also published in Insight Energy magazine, covering the latest news from the UK's energy sector. Read the latest edition here.
