Celebrating 20 years of wind power in Kent

This year marks a major milestone for Vattenfall’s offshore wind operations in Kent. It’s been 20 years since the first turbines at Kentish Flats began turning and today, three wind farms - Kentish Flats, Kentish Flats Extension and Thanet - continue to generate clean electricity for the area.

Together, these sites have powered the equivalent of over 16 million homes since 2005. That’s enough energy to boil water for tea 1.5 billion times or charge 5 billion phones.

But the story of wind power in Kent isn’t just about energy. It’s about people. Over the past two decades, Vattenfall has built strong partnerships with local organisations from the Discovery Centre and Monkton Nature Reserve to the Broadstairs Folk Festival and the Big STEM Challenge. In 2024, we proudly sponsored the Oardinary Buoys, a local team who rowed across the Atlantic, showing the same grit and ambition that powers our turbines.  

Around 70 people work to operate and maintain the wind farms, many of them from Kent. And through local contracts, sponsorships and community programmes, our investment continues to support jobs, education and environmental protection.

As we celebrate this anniversary, we want to thank the communities of Kent for their support and their partnership. Offshore wind is a team effort, and Kent has been at the heart of it from the very beginning.

Stewart Box, Head of Operations for our Kent wind farms, said: 

“As someone who grew up in East Kent, I take great pride in being part of such an innovative project right here in our local community. With over 15 years of dedicated experience in the offshore wind industry, it has been a privilege to contribute to the growth and success of one of Kent’s most significant renewable energy developments.

“Working alongside a highly skilled team to develop and maintain these wind farms has been both a professional honour and a personal achievement. Seeing the site evolve into a world-class example of innovation, sustainability, safety, and clean energy for future generations has been deeply rewarding. I am especially proud that the work we do not only supports a greener future but also creates opportunities for our community. 

“I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to our local suppliers and contractors for their continued hard work, commitment, and invaluable support in helping us deliver and maintain the wind farms. Looking ahead, our focus remains on continuing to deliver safely and reliably, while also developing the next generation of local engineers to strengthen and carry forward our proud local team.”

About our wind farms in Kent

Vattenfall operates three offshore wind farms off the coast of Kent: Kentish Flats, Kentish Flats Extension, and Thanet. Together, these sites generate enough electricity annually to power over 400,000 UK homes. The operations are based out of Ramsgate Harbour, where approximately 70 technicians and support staff maintain the turbines and ensure safe, reliable energy production. Commissioned in 2005, Kentish Flats marked Vattenfall’s first UK offshore wind project, with Thanet following in 2010 as one of the largest offshore wind farms at the time.

About Vattenfall 

Vattenfall is a leading European energy company that works to enable the fossil freedom that drives society forward. Vattenfall is committed to building a future where everyone can choose fossil free ways to move, make and live. They employ approximately 20,000 people, have around 14 million customers and operate mainly in Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and the UK. Vattenfall is the UK’s number one energy, UK is the most energy.

Vattenfall has been in the UK for more than 15 years and is a key partner in enabling the UK to reach net zero. Their work in the UK includes low-carbon heating, on and offshore wind energy, solar and battery projects, electricity networks and delivering fossil free electricity to businesses through power purchase agreements. In the UK, Vattenfall operates 13 battery storage, onshore and offshore wind projects with an installed capacity of 1.1 gigawatts. Each year these projects combined can power 800,000 homes. Vattenfall maintains a strong and growing wind portfolio, with over 3 gigawatts in operation and development.