Yorkshire Water has entered into a 10-year power purchase agreement with Shell Energy Europe Limited to buy renewable energy generated by the Thanet and Dogger Bank offshore wind farms.

Situated off the coast of Kent, Thanet has an operational installed capacity of 300 megawatts (MW) and comprises 100 wind turbines. Dogger Bank is situated off the north-east coast of England. When fully operational it will be one of the largest wind farms in the world with an installed capacity of 3,600 MW.

Shell Energy Europe, which has offtake agreements with both Dogger Bank and Thanet, will supply Yorkshire Water with approximately 16% of its electricity needs, from October 2023.

Around 18% of Yorkshire Water’s power is already generated by renewable sources, such as sludge.

Dan Oxley, Yorkshire Water commercial programme manager, said:

“Our ambition is to use less energy and procure more renewable energy to help us achieve our net-zero emissions goal and this deal with Shell Energy aligns with our sustainability targets.

“It takes a significant amount of energy to keep taps flowing and toilets flushing, and energy is one of our largest operational costs. This 10-year deal will help protect us from volatility in the energy market, which we have seen in recent years. Ultimately, partnerships such as this will help to reduce our costs and provide better value for the people of Yorkshire.”

Rupen Tanna, head of power at Shell Energy Europe Limited, added:

“Shell Energy Europe offers a range of clean power solutions to help customers reduce their carbon emissions and we are pleased to support Yorkshire Water in decarbonising their operations through our growing portfolio of renewable energy supply.”