A new agreement between renewable energy company OVO Energy and wind farm owner Ørsted means OVO will buy all of the power generated by Barrow Offshore Wind Farm in Cumbria.
Subsequently, OVO believes that 30% of the UK’s electricity supply over the next decade will be thanks to this partnership, as the nation steers ever further towards green power.
The company also hopes that by the end of the year almost 40% of the UK’s electricity generation will be supported by renewable energy.
Ben Blake, Chief Executive Officer of OVO Energy said: “We’re proud to work with Ørsted on a major power purchase agreement. In the future, we are committed to exploring how we can source more energy from renewable generation here in the UK, supporting the industry and helping to drive down costs.”
Who are OVO Energy?
Launched in 2009, OVO aim to supply energy that’s both greener and cheaper, so they can help reduce pollution in the air, while providing low energy tariffs.
In 2015 they launched a tree-planting programme, which to date has seen them plant more than 1.5 million trees. They also ditched the use of coal altogether that year and, in 2020, began offering 100% renewable electricity to all customers as standard.
The company buys Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin certificates to show that every unit of electricity provided is matched by a unit of electricity generated in the UK.
What is Barrow Offshore Wind Farm?
It’s the second oldest offshore wind farm in the UK, starting its wind-capture in 2006. It’s owned by Danish renewable energy company Ørsted, who also run 11 offshore wind farms elsewhere in the UK.
This particular farm is off the Cumbria coast, near the town of Barrow-in-Furness, and there are 30 turbines in all, each 120 metres high (a little taller than St Paul’s Cathedral). Each year the wind farm generates enough energy to power 80,000 homes.
Kyle Worthington, Head of Power Origination at Ørsted, said “We’re delighted to begin this relationship with OVO Energy and help the UK move towards a greener, more climate-friendly energy system. It is great to see major suppliers like OVO committing to increase the amount of electricity they are sourcing from renewable generators and we are very happy to help them on this journey.”
According to Renewable UK, offshore wind farms could generate as much as a third of the UK’s electricity by the end of the decade. We are, therefore, in the middle of a seismic shift in the way we use power in this country. This latest agreement suggests this shift is only gaining in momentum, as Britain turns its back on fossil fuels in favour of renewable energy.