Five Estuaries Wind Project Adds CIP as 25% Shareholder in 1,080MW UK Offshore Scheme

Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners has taken a 25% share in the Five Estuaries Offshore Wind Farm, buying out the stake held by the Macquarie-led consortium through its flagship fund Copenhagen Infrastructure V (CI V). The transaction, announced on 13 October 2026 from Copenhagen, deepens the Danish fund manager's exposure to UK energy infrastructure and reshapes the ownership line-up of one of England's most advanced offshore wind developments in the consenting pipeline.

A New Ownership Line-Up

With the Macquarie-led consortium's exit, the shareholding of the up to 1,080MW project now consists of EDF power solutions, the largest single holder at 33.33%, alongside ESB and Sumitomo Corporation, each at 20.83%, and CIP at 25%. The company described the refreshed partnership as bringing together experience in developing, financing and operating large-scale offshore wind farms around the world, with CIP committing to work closely with its fellow shareholders as a long-term investor as the project advances toward construction. The deal lands at a moment when the Five Estuaries scheme is moving from consent into detailed development. Since development consent was granted in December 2025, work has continued on refining the project design, launching early procurement activity and maintaining engagement with landowners, communities and other stakeholders.

From Four Years of Development to Consent

Five Estuaries has been more than four years in development. The scheme, sited roughly 40km off the north Essex and south Suffolk coast, secured its development consent in December 2025 after that extended development period. Once built and operational, the project is expected to generate enough electricity to cover the equivalent annual needs of about one million average UK homes. The scale of that output places the project among the larger offshore wind proposals in UK waters, and the location off the East of England coast positions it within one of the country's most established clusters of offshore wind infrastructure.

What the Partners Say

Kunal Patel, Partner at Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, framed the investment in the context of the UK's broader energy challenges: "Offshore wind offers the UK a golden opportunity to deploy clean, home-grown energy at scale, to lower and stabilise electricity bills, create highly skilled jobs as well as bolster energy security and deliver economic growth. CIP is delighted to be further expanding our UK investment portfolio through acquiring a stake in Five Estuaries Offshore Wind Farm, and we look forward to working with partners to deliver the project." From the existing shareholder camp, Matthieu Hue, CEO of EDF power solutions UK and Ireland, welcomed the arrival of the new investor: "We are delighted to join our partners in the Five Estuaries Offshore Wind Farm project. This project perfectly complements our existing portfolio in the UK and Ireland. We look forward to working closely with our partners and local stakeholders to bring the project online and support the UK's energy independence and security."

The Buyer: A Large and Growing Infrastructure Investor

The acquiring party is one of the most prominent names in energy infrastructure investment. Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners P/S was founded in 2012 and operates as a global fund manager focused on energy infrastructure assets. Its investment remit spans power generation, including solar and wind, as well as energy storage, transmission and distribution, advanced bioenergy, low-carbon fuels and carbon capture. The firm currently manages 15 funds and has raised approximately EUR 43 billion to date, drawing capital from more than 200 of the world's largest and most sophisticated institutional investors. CIP has projects in more than 30 countries and a workforce of more than 2,300 professionals on the ground through its international network. The Five Estuaries stake adds to an expanding UK portfolio for the firm. The deal was executed through Copenhagen Infrastructure V, the fifth flagship fund in the firm's series, underscoring the scale of capital that institutional investors continue to direct toward UK offshore wind.

Who Is Building Five Estuaries

EDF power solutions UK and Ireland, the project's largest shareholder at 33.33%, is a subsidiary of EDF Group, counted among the world's largest low carbon electricity companies. The company currently operates a portfolio of 50 renewable energy sites spanning battery storage, onshore wind and offshore wind. Beyond its operating assets, it holds an expanding pipeline of wind, battery and solar projects in planning, development and construction, with a stated ambition of reaching 10 GW by 2035. ESB, which holds 20.83% alongside Sumitomo Corporation, traces its origins to 1927, when it was established as a statutory body under the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1927. The Irish Government holds a 97.1% majority stake, with the remaining 2.9% in the hands of the trustees of an Employee Share Ownership Plan. ESB's operations cover the full breadth of the electricity market, from generation through transmission and distribution to customer supply, and the company also uses its networks to carry fibre for telecommunications purposes. Sumitomo Corporation, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange under the ticker TYO: 8053, is an integrated trading and business investment company with a presence in more than 60 countries and regions. On a consolidated basis, the Sumitomo Corporation Group comprises approximately 500 companies and 80,000 employees, with business activities organised across ten groups including Mineral Resources, Chemicals Solutions and Energy Transformation Business.

What Comes Next

With the ownership structure settled, attention turns to the development work already in motion. The project team is progressing design refinement and early procurement while continuing its programme of engagement with the communities, landowners and stakeholders along the Essex and Suffolk coast and beyond. For CIP, the transaction represents a further expansion of its UK holdings at a time when the firm sees offshore wind as central to the country's energy mix. For EDF power solutions, ESB and Sumitomo Corporation, the arrival of a new long-term investor consolidates a four-way partnership charged with delivering a project that, if built to its consented capacity of up to 1,080MW, would supply the equivalent of one million UK homes with electricity each year. The announcement closes one chapter for Five Estuaries, with the Macquarie-led consortium stepping away, and opens another as the remaining partners carry the consented scheme forward from planning toward procurement and, ultimately, construction.