UK’s Railway Owner-Operator Buys Power from Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm

The UK’s state-owned railway owner and operator, Network Rail, has signed a five-year corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA) with RWE for 300 GWh of electricity annually to be supplied from RWE’s Gwynt y Môr offshore wind farm.

“We are delighted to have concluded the first public sector PPA under the new Government Commercial Agency framework. Our contract with Network Rail demonstrates our strong commitment to supporting the UK public sector on its path towards a sustainable and resilient energy supply”, said Olaf Lubenow, Head of Commodity Solutions UK, North & South Europe at RWE Supply & Trading.

The deal will see around 65 per cent of Network Rail’s non-traction electricity supplied by offshore wind, powering all its offices, depots and managed stations, starting on 1 April 2027.

Network Rail says the agreement represents a significant step towards its ambition to have all non-traction electricity used across its offices, depots and all of its 20 managed stations sourced from sustainable energy by 2030. The deal with RWE follows a CPPA signed with EDF Renewables in 2025, through which the railway operator secured 64 GWh of electricity per year from a new solar farm. Together, the two agreements will provide around 80 per cent of Network Rail’s non-traction electricity from renewable sources.

“This contract marks a significant step forward in our transition to renewable energy. Rail is already one of the most sustainable ways to travel, but we recognise there is much more we can do”, said Paul Marshall, Network Rail’s Chief Financial Officer.

“As we move towards Great British Railways, this deal underlines our commitment to reducing carbon emissions and building a more integrated, sustainable rail network, not just for the millions who rely on it today, but for future generations.”

The 576 MW Gwynt y Môr offshore wind farm, located some 13 kilometres off the coast of North Wales, comprises 160 Siemens Gamesa 3.6 MW wind turbines and has been in operation since 2015.

For RWE, the CPPA with Network Rail follows a five-year PPA that the company recently signed with the discount supermarket Lidl GB. The agreement with Lidl, which has already begun, covers an annual electricity supply of 100 GWh from RWE’s Gwynt y Môr offshore wind farm in the Irish Sea.