Consent decisions on two of Europe’s largest offshore wind projects were pushed back after the British government further extended the deadline for its verdict on Orsted’s 2.4GW Hornsea 3 and Vattenfall's 1.8GW Norfolk Vanguard, in a move slammed by by the latter as another setback to its plans in the North Sea where every day of lost development counts.

UK energy secretary Alok Sharma was due to give a final decision on 1 June on the huge North Sea projects, in the case of Hornsea 3 after lengthening an original deadline from last October to address concerns over impact on birds.