The West of Duddon Sands wind farm, 20km off the coast of Barrow-in-Furness, has been officially opened by Energy Secretary Ed Davey. With 108 turbines, it is one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world, generating 389MW — enough to power more than a quarter of a million properties.

A £1.6 billion joint venture by Scottish Power Renewables and DONG Energy, the wind farm has an operations and maintenance base in Barrow; it will support 40 high-skilled jobs for at least the next 20 years.

Mr Davey said: “This wind farm will generate ‘clean’ electricity to give the local economy a major and sustained boost. We want an energy mix that is built on diverse home-grown sources to make sure our supplies are ‘clean’ and secure. Wind has a huge role to play, which is why the UK is the best place in the world to invest in offshore wind projects.

“This is the fourth major offshore wind farm that will be managed from Barrow, which is a hub for skills and resources for supporting offshore wind and the UK’s leading region for the offshore wind industry.

“It demonstrates how the UK market is rated as the most attractive place to invest in offshore wind in the world, and why major manufacturers are investing here.”