The Crown Estate has joined up with Equinor and Gwynt Glas – a joint venture between EDF Renewables and ESB – to build a number of floating windfarms in the Celtic Sea.
These developers have been selected to deliver two floating offshore wind developments with up to 4.5GW of generation capacity off the coast of Wales and south-west England by the Crown Estate, which manages the seabed in UK waters. The news comes shortly after the Crown Estate announced it would make a £400 million investment into the UK’s offshore wind supply chain, primarily focused on enabling infrastructure.
Equinor and the Gwynt Glas joint venture were selected to deliver the floating offshore wind farms following the conclusion of Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5, which was launched at the start of 2024. Research released last year suggested that this leasing round could support as many as 5,300 new jobs and add over £1.4 billion in value to the UK economy.
The developers have stated that they are committed to having at least 3.5% of the workforce for the windfarms made up of apprenticeship candidates, with a minimum of 10% of employees aged between 19-24 made of people not currently in education, employment or training.
While the final sites have not been confirmed, Equinor and Gwynt Glas have indicated that the most likely locations for the new developments will be Bristol Port and Port Talbot respectively.
Dan Labbad, chief executive of the Crown Estate, called the announcement “an exciting reflection of how far we’ve come”, adding that it is “a vote of confidence in this new technology and the long-term future of the UK market as a place to invest”.
Energy secretary Ed Miliband agreed, adding: “Floating offshore wind will be transformative for economic growth in Wales and the south-west, unlocking thousands of jobs in places like Port Talbot and Bristol, bolstering our energy security and delivering industrial renewal.”
Director of RenewableUK Cymru, Jessica Hooper, stated that the trade group is pleased to see a successful outcome for Equinor and Gwynt Glas, calling it “an important first step in building a much-needed pipeline of projects in the Celtic Sea”.
She added: “To maximise the benefits of this technology and the investment in local facilities and supply chains we need long-term visibility on future leasing rounds and support in the upcoming clean power auction to start building out projects in Welsh waters and across the UK.”
Will Apps, offshore wind strategy director at the Crown Estate, will be speaking at this year’s Wind Finance & Investment Europe Summit, taking place as part of the Clean Power 2030 Summits in London on 1-2 July. Hosted by Solar Media, the three co-located summits will provide high level discussion and networking opportunities for those in the solar, green hydrogen and wind energy industries, featuring a keynote speech by energy minister Michael Shanks.
Additionally, day two of the Wind Power Finance and Investment Summit will open with an exciting panel discussion on “The Future of Offshore Wind – Fixed vs. Floating Projects”. Secure your tickets online today.
