Windstory #25 - 25 years of offshore wind in the United Kingdom
Taking advantage of the fact that offshore wind in the United Kingdom is marking a quarter of a century, we take a look back at its history.
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25 years of offshore wind in the United Kingdom
Recently, the United Kingdom celebrated a historic milestone: a quarter of a century since the commissioning of its first offshore wind farm. It was in December 2000 when, in Blyth, off the coast of Northumberland (England), the two pioneering turbines that marked the start of British offshore wind were inaugurated.
Since then, the country has turned offshore wind into a pillar of its electricity mix. Today, offshore wind supplies around 17% of electricity in the United Kingdom, has become a key player in the British electricity system, and has been fundamental to the closure of the country’s last coal power station in 2024.
A very telling data point is that offshore wind exceeds onshore wind in generation, with the United Kingdom being the only country in the world where this happens. Denmark comes close, but from what I have been able to find, onshore wind still generates around ~52.6%.
The United Kingdom has unique conditions for this technology: a strong wind resource, a wide shallow continental shelf, and a maritime industrial tradition. These advantages, together with decisive public support, have made the country a global leader in this technology.
The United Kingdom is the first market in Europe and the second in the world (only behind China) in installed capacity, with 16 GW out of the 83 GW installed globally.
In total, the country has 47 wind farms in operation, bringing together 2,878 installed turbines. The offshore industry employs 40,000 people and around 2,000 companies make up the supply chain, with industrial hubs in ports such as Hull, Grimsby, Blyth, or Teesside.
Almost coinciding with the 25th anniversary celebrations, in November 2025 instantaneous wind power output reached a new record of 23,825 MW (also including onshore wind). As a reference, the record in Spain, a purely onshore market, stands at 21,039 MW.
Timeline of milestones (1990–2025)
1990s: Pioneering vision and first proposals
First offshore feasibility studies driven by the NFFO (Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation) programme, which required electricity companies to have a certain capacity coming from sources other than fossil fuels.
Initial proposals for wind farms off the coasts of Northumberland, Essex, and Wales.
Global context:
In 1990, Sweden inaugurated Svante 1, the world’s first offshore wind turbine (1 × 220 kW Wind World). Do not miss our Windstory feature report.
In 1991, construction began on Vindeby Offshore Wind Farm, the world’s first offshore wind farm, in Denmark (11 × 450 kW Bonus Energy B35/450).
2000: First offshore wind farm in the United Kingdom
Blyth Offshore Wind Farm (Northumberland).
Capacity: 4 MW
Turbines: 2 × Vestas V66 of 2 MW. As a major novelty, this model introduced OptiSpeed technology (true variable speed), replacing the “semi-variable” resistor-based system (OptiSlip) with a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) with power electronics.
Foundation: steel monopiles.
Water depth: ~10 m | Distance to shore: ~1.6 km.
The United Kingdom’s first offshore wind farm and one of the first in the world in “real” waters, not harbour waters. A clearly experimental project.
2001–2003: Crown Estate Round 1, seabed leasing begins
Start of the British model of centralised seabed leasing managed by The Crown Estate. Developers first bid for the maritime space and, subsequently, for the tariff and the grid connection.
Round 1 (2001): ~1.5 GW.
Small wind farms, close to shore.
2–3 MW turbines.
Monopiles in shallow waters.
Round 2 (2003): ~7.2 GW.
First real step up in scale.
Distances >20 km.
Start of development with dedicated offshore substations, although still in alternating current (HVAC).
2003: First commercial wind farm
North Hoyle (coast of Wales).
Capacity: 60 MW
Turbines: 30 × Vestas V80 of 2 MW.
Foundation: monopiles | Water depth: ~7–10 m
Distance to shore: ~7–8 km.
It marked the step from demonstration to commercial deployment.
2007: 5 MW turbines and jacket foundations
Beatrice Demonstrator (Wick, Scotland).
Capacity: 10 MW
Turbines: 2 × REpower 5M (later Senvion). At the time, it was the most powerful turbine in the world. A major leap for the technology of that time, from 2–3 MW.
Rotor: 126 m | Hub height: 101 metres.
Foundation: jacket, inherited from oil & gas | Water depth: ~45 m.
Distance to shore: ~13 km.
First relevant use of jackets. A clear sign that the sector would move towards greater water depths and higher unit capacities.
2010: First wind farm to exceed 300 MW
Thanet Offshore Wind Farm (Kent).
Capacity: 300 MW.
Turbines: 100 × Vestas V90 (3 MW). It is very interesting that, 7 years after North Hoyle, the wind turbines had barely grown 10 metres in rotor and 1 MW in power.
Rotor: 90 m | Hub height: ~70 m
Foundation: monopiles | Water depth: ~20–25 m
Distance to shore: ~12 km.
The first offshore wind farm in the world to reach this scale.
It confirms the viability of massive projects.
2012: First wind farm to exceed 500 MW
Greater Gabbard (North Sea).
Capacity: 504 MW.
Turbines: 140 × Siemens SWT-3.6-107 (3.6 MW).
Foundation: monopiles | Water depth: up to ~32 m.
Distance to shore: ~23 km
The first offshore wind farm >500 MW worldwide.
Consolidation of “utility-scale” projects.
2013: London Array, maturity of 3–4 MW technology
London Array.
Capacity: 630 MW.
Turbines: Siemens SWT-3.6-120.
Foundation: monopiles | Water depth ≤~25 m
Distance to shore: ~20 km from the coast
It became the largest offshore wind farm in the world at that time.
It marked the maturity of 3–4 MW technology.
High point of the pre-CfD model.
2015: First CfD auction
Electricity Market Reform and the formal introduction of Contracts for Difference (CfD).
First competitive CfD auction for offshore wind.
Awarded price: ~£114–120/MWh (2012 pounds).
Awarded projects: first phases of Hornsea, East Anglia, etc.
Structural change: from administrative subsidy to price competition. The technology’s cost reduction begins.
2017: Hywind Scotland, the world’s first floating offshore wind farm
Hywind Scotland:
Capacity: 30 MW
Turbine: 5 × Siemens SWT-6.0-154 DD
Floater: spar buoy | Water depth: ~95–120 m.
Distance to shore: ~25 km.
A real-world demonstration of the viability of floating wind.
2018–2019: First wind farm >1 GW
Hornsea One.
Capacity: 1,218 MW.
Turbines: 174 × Siemens Gamesa SWT-7.0-154 DD
Foundations: monopiles | Water depth: ~22–38 m
Distance to shore: ~120 km.
The world’s first offshore wind farm to exceed one gigawatt.
The definitive leap towards projects very far from the coast, while keeping HVAC technology.
2019: Decommissioning of Blyth
Full decommissioning of the Blyth wind farm (2000) after ~19 years of operation (video). A symbolic closure of the pioneering stage.
2019: Collapse of the price of offshore technology
CfD AR3 auction. Prices: ~£39–41/MWh (2012£).
Offshore wind goes from “expensive” to competitive generation technology.
A global turning point for the sector.
2020: Start of construction of Dogger Bank and the arrival of HVDC
Dogger Bank:
Three phases: Dogger Bank A, B and C.
Total capacity: 3.6 GW (≈1.2 GW per phase).
Turbines: (35 + 95 + 87) × GE Haliade-X (13 MW in phases A and B, 14 MW in phase C).
Foundations: monopiles | Water depth: 20–35 m
Distance to shore: ~120 km.
The world’s first offshore complex >3 GW and the first in the UK to be developed with an HVDC connection.
It introduces new complexity in offshore electrical design.
2022: Commissioning of Kincardine, more floating wind
Kincardine (Scotland)
Capacity: 50 MW
Turbines: 5 × Vestas V164-9.5 MW + 1 × Vestas V80-2 MW (inherited pilot unit)
Floater: semi-submersible | Water depth: ~60–80 m
Distance to shore: ~15 km
The world’s first floating wind farm to exceed 50 MW.
2022: Start of construction of Moray West
Moray West Offshore Wind Farm:
Capacity: 882 MW
Turbines: 60 × SG 14-222 DD
Foundation: XXL monopiles (>10 m diameter) | Water depth: ~40–50 m.
Distance to shore: ~22 km.
It marks the definitive industrial leap to >14 MW turbines in Europe.
It shows that HVAC remains competitive for large wind farms when distance allows.
2022: Commissioning of Seagreen and the limits of fixed-bottom foundations
Seagreen Offshore Wind Farm.
Capacity: 1.075 GW.
Turbines: 114 × Vestas V164-10 MW.
Foundation: jacket | Water depth: ~59 m at its deepest point.
Distance to shore: ~27 km.
It marks the practical limit of fixed-bottom wind in the UK.
2023: Cost issues, AR5 auction with no awards
CfD AR5 with no awards for offshore wind.
Administrative strike price: ~£44/MWh (2012£), considered unviable due to inflation, CAPEX, and the cost of capital.
It shows the limits of the CfD model without macroeconomic adjustments.
2024: Launch of CfD AR6 auction and course correction
CfD reforms:
Awarded capacity: 3.7 GW.
Contracts extended to 20 years.
Increase of the maximum price, around £73/MWh (2012 pounds).
Industrial incentives (Clean Industry Bonus) to encourage local content.
Operational capacity exceeds 20 GW.
2025: AR7 auction, the largest in history
CfD AR7:
Awarded capacity: 8.3 GW (8,145 MW fixed-bottom + 193 MW floating).
Price: £89.49–91.20/MWh (fixed), £216.49/MWh (floating) (2024 pounds).
Commissioning: 2028–2031.
The magnitude of the technological leap becomes clear in an infographic highlighted by Ember in its report: a single turbine at Moray West (≈14–15 MW) has more than three times the total capacity of the Blyth wind farm inaugurated in 2000.
In 25 years, British offshore wind has moved from two experimental wind turbines to individual machines capable of producing more energy than an entire first-generation wind farm.
Future
Twenty-five years later, offshore wind energy in the United Kingdom is living a radically different reality. We are talking about a mature technology, which has demonstrated not only its technical viability, but its capacity to become a structural pillar of the British electricity system.
The challenges are now completely different from those of the early years. The first, and perhaps the most relevant, is economic. After those AR3 and AR4 auctions that set historic lows and demonstrated that offshore could be highly competitive, the sector is now in a completely different situation.
The problems accumulated in recent years (the financial situation of OEMs, disruptions derived from the pandemic, persistent inflation…), have meant that those price levels have not been consolidated, and everything points to them not being reached again in the short to medium term.
From a technological point of view, offshore wind has also reached a high degree of maturity and no major technological revolutions are expected in the next 5–10 years. Everything suggests that 14–15 MW turbines will consolidate as the standard over the next 5 to 10 years, with incremental improvements in reliability, operations and maintenance, rather than technological leaps.
Another relevant unknown is the possible arrival of Chinese manufacturers, with Ming Yang at the forefront, which has already officially announced its intention to invest in a factory in the United Kingdom, although the project remains pending regulatory approvals.
There is also floating wind, in which almost 200 MW have been awarded in AR7 and the possibility of a first large-scale development is coming into view: the Greenvolt project with up to 560 MW of capacity. However, the technology still faces significant technological, industrial, and cost challenges.
In parallel, the British electricity system faces grid integration challenges. Episodes of wind curtailment have become increasingly frequent due to the inability to transport and consume all the electricity during periods of high wind and/or low demand. Investment in networks stands as critical for future growth.
Be that as it may, the United Kingdom remains today the main driver of offshore wind in Europe, both in terms of installed volume and attractiveness for investment.
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