• Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
• Wednesday January 14 2026

Swindon-based energy giant biggest winner in wind auction

A Swindon-headquartered company has emerged as the biggest winner in a record-breaking auction of wind power.

The latest round of wind power contracts will deliver 8.4 gigawatts of offshore wind, which is the amount experts have said was needed this year to keep the Government on track to meet its promise of clean power by 2030.

Six new wind farm projects will be established around the UK coast, with generators being paid an average of £91 per megawatt hour for the power they produce.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said the new projects would generate enough electricity to power 12 million homes, deliver around £22 billion in private investment, support 7,000 jobs and help the UK tackle the climate crisis.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “With these results, Britain is taking back control of our energy sovereignty.

“This is a historic win for those who want Britain to stand on our own two feet, controlling our own energy rather than depending on markets controlled by petrostates and dictators.”

A large share of the contracts was awarded to German energy firm RWE, whose UK headquarters is at the aptly-named Windmill Hill business park.

The firm – originally Npower – has been based in Swindon for 25 years and employs 1,300 people in the town.

RWE’s Norfolk Vanguard East and Norfolk Vanguard West projects, as well as its two Dogger Bank South projects, all of which are located in the British North Sea, and its Awel y Môr project located in the Irish Sea secured 20-year contracts at £91.20 per megawatt hour.

The firm will provide 6.9 gigawatts of capacity.

The company recently gave a site tour to Swindon Borough Council leader Jim Robbins, who was shown RWE’s plans for hydrogen and carbon capture facilities across the UK before seeing first hand how staff manage and maintain its 2,500 wind turbines across Europe around the clock.

Cllr Robbins said: “I’d like to extend a huge thanks to Tom and his team at RWE for taking the time to showcase the impressive work the company is doing in order to reach its net-zero carbon targets and its focus on renewable energy.

“It was fascinating to see first-hand the scale of the work RWE is doing here in Swindon and the vital role it plays in providing energy to the National Grid.

“Having such a major international business rooted in our borough for 25 years is something we can be very proud of. The company’s investment in renewable energy, hydrogen and carbon capture shows how Swindon is helping to shape a cleaner, more sustainable energy future, while providing high-quality jobs, which is at the heart of our greener and better Swindon missions.

“Companies like RWE are the bedrock of our buoyant local economy and through our new Economic Development Plan, our focus on inward investment and our plans to join the Thames Valley mayoral strategic authority, we want to see even more firms of this calibre choosing Swindon as a place to invest.”

Tom Glover, RWE’s UK country chair and chair of the RWE UK renewables boards, said: “It was a real pleasure to welcome Councillor Robbins to our UK headquarters and to show how our Swindon-based team is playing a vital role in the future of the UK’s energy system.

“The expertise based here supports projects right across the country and demonstrates the national impact of what is delivered from Swindon.

“RWE is investing for the long term in secure, home-powered electricity, and our operational and development projects are helping to strengthen the UK’s electricity system while supporting the transition to a lower-carbon future.

“The constructive relationship we have with Swindon Borough Council helps create the conditions for that work to succeed.

“We are hugely proud of our Swindon roots and look forward to continuing our long-standing relationship with the Borough.”