Offshore windfarm contracts to fuel 12m homes in Great Britain after record auction

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Jillian Ambrose Energy correspondentJanuary 14, 2026 at 02:30 PM

Read Original Article

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

The UK government awarded contracts to eight new offshore windfarms in a competitive auction aimed at achieving a clean electricity system by 2030. The contracts, worth £22 billion, guarantee a price for each unit of clean electricity generated, and are expected to power 12 million British homes. The auction secured 8.4 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity, including both standard and floating windfarms, with prices varying by location and technology. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband hailed the auction as a record-breaking achievement and a significant step towards clean power, creating thousands of jobs and lowering energy bills. RWE was the most successful company, securing contracts for almost 7GW of projects, while SSE also won a contract for its Berwick Bank project.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Wales 40% Dogger Bank South 40% Norfolk Vanguard 40% Berwick Bank 40% England 40% Scotland 50% SSE 50% Ed Miliband 60% RWE ×270% UK Government 70% UK 80% Great Britain 90%

Keywords

offshore windfarms 100% renewable energy 80% subsidy contracts 70% clean electricity 70% energy auction 60% clean energy agenda 60% energy bills 50% floating windfarms 50% rwe 40% 8.4 gigawatts 40%