US President Donald Trump's government ordered a halt to work on the massive Revolution Wind project off the coast of Rhode Island last month, despite 45 of 65 planned turbines already having been installed.

Orsted challenged the order in a lawsuit in a Washington court early last month.

On Monday, the US District Court for the District of Columbia granted a preliminary injunction sought by the company, allowing it to restart work while the lawsuit progresses, Orsted said.

"Revolution Wind will resume impacted construction work as soon as possible, with safety as the top priority," Orsted said in a statement.

"Revolution Wind will continue to seek to work collaboratively with the US administration and other stakeholders toward a prompt resolution."

Shares in Orsted were five percent higher in early afternoon trading.

Trump, a fierce opponent of wind and solar energy, has signed executive orders freezing permits and federal loans for both offshore and onshore wind projects nationwide.

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