Ørsted’s Barrow offshore wind farm is marking 20 years of generating renewable electricity for the UK. 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 turbines, each with a capacity of 3 MW, have a combined capacity of 90 MW and entered commercial operation in 2006.
Barrow was originally developed as a joint venture between Centrica and DONG Energy - now Ørsted. DONG Energy acquired Centrica's remaining 50 % stake in 2014, becoming sole owner of the project. For Ørsted, Barrow marked the start of its UK offshore wind activities. The company now operates a portfolio of 12 offshore wind farms around the UK coastline, with a combined capacity of 5.7 GW. Over the past 20 years, Ørsted’s UK wind farms have generated more than 180 TWh of renewable electricity.
Offshore wind has since become a significant part of the UK electricity system, accounting for 18% of electricity generation in 2025.
