Approval Granted for UK’s Largest Floating Solar Project

Associated British Ports (ABP) has secured planning approval for what will become the UK’s largest floating solar installation, marking a major step in the energy transition for industry in the North West.

Westmorland & Furness Council has approved the Barrow EnergyDock project—a floating solar array of up to 40MWp on Cavendish Dock. Once built, the system is expected to generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 14,000 homes a year, with the energy directed to advanced manufacturing and other industrial users at the port. By producing renewable electricity onsite, ABP aims to stabilise energy costs, cut emissions and improve energy resilience for local industry, while the floating design preserves valuable port land for operational and manufacturing uses.

Visualisation of proposed floating solar array in Cavendish Dock, Barrow (ABP)

Floating solar is increasingly seen as a strategic option for industrial hubs like ports. The approach has already proved valuable on reservoirs, lakes and even canal networks, where using water avoids competing with land and takes advantage of the cooler environment to boost solar efficiency. It also reduces evaporation and offers a quick, low-impact way to add clean generation in places with rising electricity demand. At the Port of Barrow, this means the dock can host around 47,000 panels—covering roughly one-third of its surface. The design aims to allow renewable generation to operate alongside leisure use and the dock’s marine environment.