Pioneering wind farm off the Cumbrian coast celebrates two decades of renewable generation and 20 years of Ørsted’s UK power journey.
Ørsted’s Barrow Offshore Wind Farm is celebrating 20 years of generating renewable, home-grown electricity for the UK, marking two decades of operation that have helped demonstrate the long-term potential of offshore wind.
The milestone also marks the 20th anniversary of Ørsted generating power in the UK. In that time, Ørsted wind farms have produced more than 180 TWh of affordable, renewable, home-grown electricity – enough to power the entire London Underground network for almost 150 years.
Located 7 km south-west of Walney Island in the East Irish Sea, Barrow was one of the UK’s first commercial offshore wind farms. Its 30 wind turbines have a combined generating capacity of 90 MW and began commercial operation in 2006.
Twenty years later, the offshore wind industry has transformed beyond recognition. What was once an emerging technology has become a major part of the UK’s electricity system, with offshore wind generating 18 % of the UK’s electricity in 2025.
Barrow has been at the heart of that transformation. It was the first UK offshore wind project for what was then DONG Energy – now Ørsted – and helped establish the company's presence in the UK and its long-term commitment to offshore wind.
The project has also played an important role in the development of the offshore wind industry in Cumbria. Ørsted's West Coast hub in Barrow-in-Furness has developed into a centre of excellence for offshore wind operations, with a workforce predominantly drawn from the local area and colleagues from across Ørsted’s global portfolio coming to Barrow to develop and share expertise.
The anniversary is therefore not only a celebration of the wind farm itself, but of the people, skills, and local expertise that have kept it generating electricity safely and reliably for two decades.
Godson Njoku, Chief Generation Officer at Ørsted, said:
'Twenty years ago, Barrow was part of a pioneering generation of offshore wind projects that showed what could be achieved by taking turbines out to sea and harnessing the UK's abundant wind resource.
'Today, offshore wind is a fundamental part of the UK's energy system, but Barrow remains special to us. It was Ørsted's first UK project and has been the foundation for two decades of learning, innovation, and operational excellence.
''Most importantly, this anniversary is about the people. Generating electricity for 20 years in an offshore environment takes highly skilled teams, a relentless focus on safety, and an enormous amount of dedication. Many of the skills and expertise developed here in Barrow have gone on to support offshore wind projects in the UK and around the world.
'We’re incredibly proud of what Barrow has achieved over the past 20 years and of the role it’s played in the growth of the industry. As the UK looks towards the next generation of offshore wind, the experience we’ve gained from operating projects like Barrow will be more valuable than ever.'
Richard Bodal Hanson, UK Country Manager at Ørsted, said:
'Barrow's story has always been one of innovation, engineering, and people with the skills to make big things happen. Offshore wind has become an important new chapter in that story.
'Twenty years of Barrow Offshore Wind Farm generating renewable electricity is a remarkable milestone. It’s helped put Barrow on the map as a centre for offshore wind and has created opportunities for local people to develop careers in an industry that now reaches around the world.
'The legacy of Barrow is about much more than the 30 turbines offshore. It’s about the knowledge, skills, and confidence that have been built here over two decades. That’s something the whole community can be proud of.
'As the UK continues to invest in renewable energy, we have an opportunity to build on that legacy and ensure communities such as Barrow remain at the heart of the UK's energy future.'
Barrow is a foundational project for an industry which employs more than 40,000 people in the UK and has attracted tens of billions of pounds in cumulative private and public investment.
For Ørsted, Barrow represents the beginning of a UK offshore wind journey that now encompasses a portfolio of 12 offshore wind farms around the country's coastline with a capacity of 5.7 GW, including Hornsea 2, the world’s largest offshore wind farm.
As Barrow enters its third decade of operation, the wind farm continues to provide renewable electricity while the expertise developed around it helps support the UK's next generation of offshore wind.
About Barrow Offshore Wind Farm
- Barrow Offshore Wind Farm is located in the East Irish Sea, 7 km south-west of Walney Island near Barrow-in-Furness.
- The wind farm comprises 30 wind turbines.
- It has a total installed capacity of 90 MW.
- The wind turbines each have a capacity of 3 MW.
- The wind farm became commercially operational in 2006.
- Ørsted has 100 % ownership of the project today.
- Barrow was originally developed as a joint venture between Centrica and DONG Energy. DONG Energy acquired Centrica's remaining 50 % stake in 2014, becoming sole owner of the project.
- Barrow was Ørsted's first UK offshore wind project.
Source: Ørsted
