Burbo Bank offshore wind farm

Burbo Bank is a 90 MW offshore wind farm with 25 turbines in English waters. Its status in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract) is: operational since 18 October 2007; the record was last updated on 27 February 2018. Its REPD grid reference is 9 km from the nearest postcode on land (L37 2EJ, Sefton). It was consented under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 by the Secretary of State for energy (REPD: DECC, the energy department at the time).

How it works ↓

Data: REPD July 2026 extract · calculated 7 November 2026 · Methodology and sources

90 MWoffshore wind farm

operationalstatus in REPD

27 February 2018record last updated

9 km from land (Sefton)REPD location

Consent timeline

Date	Stage
12 April 2002	Application submitted
14 July 2006	Section 36 consent granted (Secretary of State)
1 August 2006	Construction started
18 October 2007	Operational

Project details

Technology: offshore wind farm
Capacity: 90 MW
Turbines: 25
Turbine capacity: 3.6 MW
Status (REPD): operational
Record last updated: 27 February 2018
Operator or applicant: Orsted (formerly Dong Energy)
Consenting authority (REPD): DECC (S36)
Application reference: not recorded
Nearest postcode on land: L37 2EJ (Sefton), 8.5 km from the REPD grid reference
Time to decision: 222 weeks
REPD reference: 2487

Who decides

It was consented under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 by the Secretary of State for energy (REPD: DECC, the energy department at the time).

Postcode districts within 40 km

District	km
Liverpool (L38)	9.7
Wirral (CH47)	10.2
Liverpool (L22)	10.5
Wirral (CH46)	10.6
Liverpool (L23)	10.7
Wallasey (CH45)	11.0
Liverpool (L37)	11.1
Liverpool (L21)	12.4
Wallasey (CH44)	12.7
Wirral (CH49)	13.1
Wirral (CH48)	13.2
Liverpool (L29)	13.4

Straight-line distance from the centre of each postcode district to the REPD grid reference of the wind farm, which is a single point for the whole site.

Other offshore wind projects within 30 km

Project	MW	Status	km
Burbo Bank Extension (Burbo Bank 2)	258	operational	5.7
North Hoyle	60	operational	19.2
Gwynt y Mor	576	operational	29.5

All offshore wind farms in UK waters

Status and dates as recorded in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract); the database can lag behind consent decisions. Location: REPD grid reference (53.4882, -3.1849).

Burbo Bank, one of the first offshore wind farms off Liverpool, stands roughly 9 km from the Sefton coast. Its 25 turbines of 3.6 MW each are operated by Orsted (formerly Dong Energy), and from the project's point in the register, 12 Liverpool and Wirral postcode districts, including L38 and CH47, lie just 10–13 km away.

The application went in on 12 April 2002, but the Section 36 consent only arrived on 14 July 2006: 222 weeks against a median of 95.8 for offshore wind, more than twice as long. The register records the consenting authority as DECC, the energy ministry of the day. After that things moved fast: construction started on 1 August 2006, and on 18 October 2007 the wind farm became operational.

Extension and neighbours

At 5.7 km, Burbo Bank Extension is operational with 258 MW, a separate project far more powerful than the first phase's 90 MW. Further out, at 19–30 km, stand North Hoyle (60 MW) and Gwynt y Mor (576 MW). The Burbo Bank record was last updated on 27 February 2018; the figures come from the REPD extract for July 2026.