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Our offshore wind farms

Learn about our offshore wind farms that are in development, in construction, and the ones that are operational, all right here in the UK.

Our offshore wind farms in the UK

12 operational
3 in development

From the world's first to the world's biggest

Since pioneering the world’s first offshore wind farm in 1991, we have established ourselves as the unrivalled leader within global offshore wind power production. We develop, construct, own and operate offshore wind farms in Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, UK, Taiwan and the USA.

With 7.5 GW installed and over 30 years of experience, it is our ambition is to have installed 30GW of offshore wind worldwide by 2030.

We are also the UK leader in offshore wind with 5.6GW operational. Our 12 UK offshore wind farms produce enough electricity to power over 7 million homes.

Discover the community benefits of offshore wind

Find information on all our UK offshore wind farms below:

Operational wind farms

We fully or partly own 12 operational wind farms in the UK. They produce enough green electricity to power over 7 million UK homes a year.
Learn more about our UK operational offshore wind farms:
  • Barrow

    Electricity generated by the wind farm is delivered to the National Grid at a substation in Heysham, Lancashire via 27km of buried subsea transmission and onshore cables.

    Construction and commissioning work was completed in June 2006, a little over a year after offshore work got underway in the East Irish Sea. First power was generated in March 2006. Ørsted's team of technicians and project staff operate the wind farm from an operations and maintenance (O&M) base in Barrow-in-Furness.

    Facts
    Overall capacity
    		 90 MW
    Number of turbines 30
    Commercial Operation 2006
    Location East Irish Sea, 7km South West of Walney Island near Barrow-in-Furness
    Ownership 100% Ørsted
    Project Summary  Barrow offshore wind farm project summary  
  • Burbo Bank

    Burbo Bank produces enough electricity to power over 80,000 UK homes annually.

    Facts
    Overall capacity
    		 90 MW
    Number of turbines 25
    Commercial Operation 2007
    Location Burbo Flats in Liverpool Bay approximately 6.4km from the Sefton coastline
    Ownership 100% Ørsted
    Project Summary  Burbo Bank Offshore Wind Farm project summary 
  • Burbo Bank Extension

    Burbo Bank Extension produces enough electricity to power over 230,000 UK homes.
    Less than ten years ago at Burbo Bank, we were the first to install a 3.6 MW wind turbine.  In 2017, we were again the first company to install MHI Vestas V164 - 8.0 MW turbines which are the world's largest wind turbines at Burbo Bank Extension.

    Facts
    Overall capacity
    		 258MW
    Number of turbines 32
    Commercial Operation 2017
    Location Burbo Flats off Liverpool Bay
    Ownership 50% Ørsted, 25% PKA, 25% KIRKBI A/S
     Project Summary Burbo Bank Extension project summary 

  • Gunfleet Sands

    Gunfleet Sands produces enough electricity to power over 150,000 UK homes annually.

    This wind farm originally consisting of two stages, a third demonstration project was completed in 2013 to test the new 6MW turbines.

     

     

    Facts
    Overall capacity
    		 170MW
    Number of turbines 48
    Commercial Operation 2013
    Location 7km south-east of Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
    Ownership

    Ørsted 50.1%, JERA 24.95%, DBJ 24.95%
    Project Summary  Gunfleet Sands Offshore Wind Farm project summary  

    Gunfleet Sands wind farm map
  • Hornsea 1

    Hornsea 1 produces enough energy to power well over one million UK homes. With a capacity of 1.2 gigawatts (GW), the project was the world's first offshore wind farm to exceed 1 GW in capacity. Hornsea 1 held the title of the world's largest offshore wind farm until its sister project, Hornsea 2 took the crown in 2022.

    Located off the Yorkshire coast, Hornsea 1 spans a huge area of approximately 407 square kilometres, which is over five times the size of the city of Hull.

    The offshore wind farm has 174 wind turbines of 7 megawatts (MW). Each one is 190 metres tall – larger than the Gherkin building in London.

    Learn more about Hornsea 1

  • Hornsea 2
    Facts
    • 165 turbines delivering 1.3GW of renewable electricity
    • The wind farms covers an area of 462 sq. km – equal to 31 Lake Windermeres
    • Each turbine blade is 81m long and the blade tip is more than 200m above sea level
    • One revolution of the turbine blades can power an average UK home for 24 hours

    Hornsea Two is located  89km off the Yorkshire coast, adjacent to sister project Hornsea 1.  The 1.3GW project comprises 165 wind turbines which will help power over 1.4 million UK homes with low-cost renewable energy. 

    The project has played a key role in the ongoing development of a larger and sustainably competitive UK supply chain to support the next phase of the UK’s offshore wind success story.

    The offshore wind farm will make an important contribution towards the UK goal for renewable electricity generation and to achieve the UK's energy security and carbon reduction objectives. Hornsea 2 is the continuation of our strong commitment to the UK and further investment into the UK offshore wind pipeline.

    Hornsea 2 became fully operational on 31 August 2022

    Learn more about the project

  • Lincs
    Lincs produces enough electricity to power over 240,000 UK homes annually.
    Facts
    Overall capacity
    		 270MW
    Number of turbines 75
    Commercial Operation 2012
    Location 8km off the east coast, near Skegness in Lincolnshire
    Ownership Ørsted 25%, UK Green Investment Lyle Limited 31%, Lyle JV Holdings Limited 44%
    Project Summary  Lincs Offshore Wind Farm project summary 

  • Race Bank
    Race Bank produces enough electricity to power over 500,000 UK homes
    Facts  
    Overall capacity 573MW
     Number of turbines 91
     Commercial operation 2018
     Location 17 miles off Blakeney Point on the North Norfolk coast and 17 miles off the Lincolnshire coast at Chapel St Leonards
     Ownership Ørsted (50%), Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 5 (25%), Macquarie Capital (12.5%) and Sumitomo 
    Corporation (12.5%)
     Project summary Race Bank Offshore Wind Farm project summary 

     

  • Walney
    Walney produces enough electricity to power over 320,000 UK homes.
    Facts
    Overall capacity
    		 367MW
    Number of turbines 102
    Commercial Operation 2012
    Location 15km from coastline of Walney Island
    Ownership Ørsted 50.1%, PGGM 24.8% and Greencoat 25.1%
    Project Summary  Walney Offshore Wind Farm project summary 

    Walney Extension location map
  • Walney Extension
    Facts

    87 turbines
    generate a combined total capacity of 659 MW

     

    50 local suppliers
    were involved throughout construction

     

    250 local jobs
    created through operation and maintenance activities
    Walney Extension offshore wind farm, located in the Irish Sea, generates enough clean electricity to power nearly 600,000 homes. This massive feat of engineering was constructed on time and on budget and was inaugurated on the 6 September 2018.

    The wind farm is located approximately 19km (11.8 miles) west of Barrow-in-Furness off the northwest coast. The 659-megawatt (MW) project, owned by Ørsted (50%) and partners PKA (25%) and PFA (25%), is situated next to the existing Walney offshore wind farm and West of Duddon Sands offshore wind farm.

    Learn more about Walney Extension
  • West of Duddon Sands

    West of Duddon Sands produces enough electricity to power over 340,000 UK homes annually. 

    Learn more about West of Duddon Sands

    Facts
    Overall capacity
    		 389MW
    Number of turbines 108
    Commercial Operation 2014
    Location 14km from Walney Island, Cumbria
    Ownership 50% Ørsted, 50% Scottish Power Renewables
    Project Summary  View the West of Duddon Sands project summary

  • Westermost Rough

    Westermost Rough produces enough electricity to power over 180,000 UK homes annually.

    Facts
    Overall capacity
    		 210MW
    Number of turbines 35
    Commercial Operation 2015
    Location 8km off the Yorkshire Coast, north of Hull
    Ownership Ørsted 50%, Fuujin Power 25%, MEIF 12.5%, USS 9.4%, Stepstone 3.1% 
     Project Summary View the Westermost Rough project summary

Wind farms in development

We currently have three offshore wind farms in development. Read more about the latest activities for these projects. 
Learn more about our offshore wind farms in development:
  • Hornsea Three

    Hornsea Three will be located in the North Sea, approximately 121 km off the Norfolk coast and 160 km off the Yorkshire coast.

    The wind farm will be capable of generating at least 2.85 GW of green electricity, enough to meet the average daily needs of 3 million homes.

    On 31 December 2020, The Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy granted consent for the Hornsea Three offshore wind farm.

    Learn more about the project background, progress and details of the proposed area.

     

  • Hornsea Four

    Hornsea Four is an offshore wind farm which Ørsted is proposing to develop in the North Sea, approximately 65km off the Yorkshire Coast.

    In August 2015, we acquired the rights to develop the Hornsea zone from SMart Wind Ltd, who were originally awarded the zone in The Crown Estate Round 3 bid process.

    To date, Hornsea One is in operation, Hornsea Two is currently under construction and Hornsea Three received consent from the The Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the 31 December 2020.

    We are now exploring the potential to develop a fourth project in the zone, Hornsea Four. The Project is currently in the pre-application process where thorough consultation on the project plans and proposals will take place in parallel with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, resulting in an application for a DCO. 

    It is important to note that the Project is still at an early stage in the development process and is considering the options available to it. The planning process it is required to follow to apply for a DCO is a complex and thorough one (stipulated by the 2008 Planning Act, as the Project will be a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) and capable of generating enough electricity to power hundreds of thousands of UK homes).

    Learn more about the Project

    Hornsea Four location map

  • Isle of Man
    Green energy pioneers
    The Isle of Man’s renewable energy transition shows the big part small Island nations can play in tackling climate change, writes John Galloway, Ørsted Development Director for the Isle of Man Offshore Wind Farm.
    Read John's take

    We are investigating an area in the Territorial Seas of the Isle of Man, to the east of the island. The project is at an early stage of development, and as such its final layout and size are not known. Subject to our investigations, and the outcome of future consenting processes, the windfarm could generate renewable electricity to support the Isle of Man’s own Net Zero, economic development and sustainability ambitions. While the number of wind turbine generators and their sizes are not yet known, this will be considered during the planning and consenting process.

    About the project

    Ørsted was awarded "Preferred Bidder" status in November 2014, following a tender process conducted by the Isle of Man Government earlier in the year.

    Ørsted has now signed an Agreement for Lease (AfL) with the Isle of Man Government.  This AfL gives Ørsted the right to investigate an agreed area within the Isle of Man Territorial Seas, located approximately 6-12 nautical miles off the east coast of the island, to determine its suitability for an offshore wind farm.

    It will take a number of years to complete these investigations, after which there will be an option to execute a lease with the Isle of Man Government for the seabed over the lifetime of the wind farm, if conditions are suitable.

    Planning Consent will be needed before a lease is signed with the Isle of Man Government and if conditions are not suitable for an offshore wind farm Ørsted will hand the site back to the Isle of Man Government.

    Subject to the specific findings of the investigations throughout the development stage, construction activities would be likely to take place post-2025.

    Project Description

    The site under investigation for the proposed wind farm is located within the Territorial Seas of the Isle of Man, to the east of the island.

    The project is at an early stage of development, and as such its final layout and size are not known.  It is important to note that the final size of the windfarm will be less than the area currently earmarked by the AfL for investigation. 

    Environmental Assessment

    Ørsted will be producing an Environmental Statement to support the applications for  Marine Infrastructure Licence and other consents needed for the export cable installation inside and outside of Isle of Man waters.  Work has started on the production of an EIA Scoping Report for the potential offshore works.

    Other information

    • Ørsted awarded Preferred bidder status
    • Signed an Agreement for lease November 2015
    • Now investigating territory 6-12 miles off the east coast of the Isle of Man
    • Pending investigation, any potential wind farm could generate 800MW or more.

Discover the location of our UK offshore wind farms:

UK offshore wind supply chain

Offshore wind farm projects enable us to build a healthy and competitive supply chain

Discover our offshore wind supply chain

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