Ørsted’s 90 MW Barrow Offshore Wind Farm has marked 20 years of commercial operations, a milestone that also represents two decades since the company began generating power in the UK.
Located 7 km southwest of Walney Island in the East Irish Sea, Barrow comprises 30 turbines of 3 MW each and entered commercial operation in 2006.
The project was Ørsted’s first UK offshore wind farm and was originally developed as a joint venture between Centrica and DONG Energy, which later became Ørsted. DONG Energy acquired Centrica’s remaining 50% stake in 2014 and Ørsted now owns the project outright.
Since Barrow started operating, Ørsted’s UK wind farms have generated more than 180 TWh of electricity. The company now has a portfolio of 12 offshore wind farms around the UK with combined capacity of 5.7 GW.
“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,” said Godson Njoku, Chief Generation Officer at Ørsted.
Ørsted has also developed an offshore wind operations hub in Barrow-in-Furness, which supports the wind farm and is used to develop and share operational expertise across the company’s portfolio.
Barrow will continue generating electricity as it enters its third decade of operation.