More than 2GW of offshore wind was brought into operation in UK waters during 2018 with eight new wind farms officially opened, nearly double the previous annual record of in 2012. This near-doubling of capacity was achieved with just 18 per cent more turbines than were installed in 2012 underlining the impressive growth in turbine power in the last 6 years.

New projects opened this year included the world’s largest operational offshore wind farm, Walney Extension (659MW), Rampion (400MW) and Race Bank (573MW), as well as the world’s second floating offshore wind farm, Kincardine, in Scottish waters.

RenewableUK’s executive director Emma Pinchbeck said: “We’re thrilled that we’ve absolutely smashed previous records and installed more new offshore wind power stations than ever before. This is just the beginning of the great shift to renewables. By 2030, offshore wind could be generating more than a third of the UK’s entire electricity needs, with 30GW up and running. The industry would attract £48bn in investment by the end of the next decade and employ 27,000 people in highly-skilled jobs.”

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