Walney Extension, the world's biggest offshore wind farm, has opened in the Irish Sea. It spans an area the size of 20,000 football pitches and has a capacity of 659 megawatts, which is enough to power the equivalent of 590,000 homes.
The new wind farm uses less than half the number of the next biggest offshore wind farm, the London Array, but is more powerful, demonstrating how dramatically wind technology has progressed in the five years since the Array was completed.
The energy minister, Claire Perry, claimed that the scheme would help the UK to consolidate its position as the world's number one in offshore wind installations and create thousands of high-quality jobs. Danish energy firm Orsted, who completed the project, have also set up a £15 million local community fund and a 'Skills Fund' to promote education and support local students with apprenticeships in the wind turbine industry.
It is unlikely that the Walney Extension will hold its title for long under plans to continue development of wind farms around the British coastline. Scottish Power's East Anglia One will be bigger when it opens in 2020, with an intended capacity of 714 megawatts.
Britain is considered the best location in Europe to generate wind power, and the UK is the sixth highest producer in the world. Wind met a total of 15% of the UK's entire electricity demand in 2017, the highest total in history. Renewable energy of all forms now makes up nearly one-third of the electricity generated in the UK each year.
