Walney Extension, the world’s largest offshore windfarm was officially opened in the UK covering 145km2 in the Irish Sea, around 19km from Cumbria coast in England. It is 50 per cent owned by Ørsted from Denmark, with the remaining half being held equally by Danish pension companies PKA and PFA.

Ørsted UK managing director Matthew Wright said: “The UK is the global leader in offshore wind and Walney Extension showcases the industry’s incredible success story. The project, completed on time and within budget, also marks another important step towards Ørsted’s vision of a world that runs entirely on green energy. It is powered by 40 of MHI Vestas’ 8 MW turbines and 47 of Siemens Gamesa’s 7 MW turbines.

UK Energy Minister Claire Perry said: “Record-breaking engineering landmarks like this huge offshore windfarm help us consolidate our global leadership position, break records for generating renewable energy, and create thousands of high quality jobs. As part of our modern Industrial Strategy we’ve set out a further £557 million of funding for new renewable projects, helping to tackle climate change and deliver clean growth to local economies.”