T
he 300 MW Thanet Offshore wind farm, off England's south east coast, was officially opened, and pushes the UK's installed wind capacity past 5 GW.
The farm's 100 turbines are expected to generate enough electricity for more than 200,000 British households.
The UK's energy and environment minister Chris Huhne welcomed the inauguration and said his government is committed to playing its part in bringing forward "the large sums of investment we want to see in low-carbon energy in the UK".
On top of its installed capacity of 5 GW, the UK has nearly 18 GW either consented, in construction or in the planning system.
UK wind power received another recent boost with the commissioning of new capacity at Scotland's Crystal Rig onshore wind farm on 8 September, bringing it up from 138 MW to 200 MW.
In an accelerating expansion of capacity, the sector has gained its fifth gigawatt in less than 12 months.
