RWE will supply Network Rail’s depots, offices, and stations with Offshore Wind power

RWE, the UK’s largest power generator and a leading renewable energy company has signed a deal with Network Rail that will see around 65% of its non-traction electricity supplied by offshore wind. With this agreement, Network Rail has taken another major step towards powering all its offices, depots and managed stations with renewable electricity.

Under the Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (CoPPA), RWE will deliver 300 GWh of renewable electricity annually over five years. The power will be supplied from RWE’s Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm, located 15 miles off the coast of North Wales in the Irish Sea. Consisting of 160 wind turbines with a total installed generation capacity of 576 megawatts, the wind farm was commissioned in 2015. The CoPPA will help reduce Network Rail’s carbon emissions by around 168,000 tonnes of CO₂e — the equivalent of planting 6.5 million trees.

The agreement represents a significant step towards Network Rail’s ambition for all non-traction electricity used across its offices, depots, and managed stations to come from renewable sources by 2030.

Olaf Lubenow, Head of Commodity Solutions UK, North & South Europe at RWE Supply & Trading, said: “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. By providing Network Rail with offshore wind power from Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm, we are helping to significantly reduce emissions while enhancing the long-term stability and reliability of their electricity procurement.”

Paul Marshall, Network Rail’s Chief Financial Officer, said: “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. This agreement with RWE represents a major step towards our ambition to power all our non-traction electricity - across offices, stations and depots - from renewable sources by 2030. It also highlights the important role organisations can play in driving investment in clean energy. 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 agreement forms a key part of Network Rail’s Green Strategy, which sets out Network Rail’s plans to achieve a sustainable railway and follows another CoPPA signed in 2025. Together, the two agreements will provide around 80% of the organisation’s non-traction electricity from renewable sources, putting Network Rail firmly on track to meet its 2030 target. Electricity from RWE’s Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm will begin powering Network Rail’s offices, stations, and depots from 1 April 2027.

Pictures of RWE’s wind farm Gwynt y Môr are available at the RWE Media Centre (Credit: RWE).