Floating wind projects as large as 300MW could be developed in the Celtic Seas the Crown Estate outlines plans to design leasing contracts for early commercial-scale projects
Giant floating wind farms could soon be established in the Celtic Sea, after the Crown Estate yesterday announced plans to design and deliver new leasing contracts for early commercial-scale floating wind turbine projects off the South Wales coast and the South West peninsular.
The leasing process would prioritise projects of 300MW in scale, the property management giant said, around three times larger than any rights previously awarded to floating wind projects in the UK.
The proposals build on a consultation carried out by The Crown Estate on how to accelerate the development of floating wind technologies in the UK, which saw over 30 market actors provide feedback on the potential scale and location for future projects and how to develop the related supply chain.
This feedback confirmed strong interest in new floating wind farm rights, the Crown Estate said, revealing strong market confidence that current floating wind technology is sufficiently developed to support early commercial scale projects of around 300MW in size.
It also highlighted the Celtic Sea as an area with strong potential to develop new projects.
Further details on the leasing process will be provided in coming months, the Crown Estate said. It has previously backed the development of floating wind technology through its test and demonstration project, which last year awarded rights to energy firm Blue Gem Wind to develop a 96MW Erebus floating wind project in the Celtic Sea.
The Crown Estate's energy, minerals, and infrastructure portfolio director Huub den Rooijen called floating wind "the next frontier of the UK's clean energy ambitions".
"Today's announcement is an important step in providing the market the confidence it needs to plan and invest, bringing with it huge opportunities for jobs and the supply chain," den Rooijen said.
The proposed 300MW projects could play a central role in driving progress towards the government's ambition of delivering 1GW of floating wind by 2030, as part of broader plans to boost the UK's total offshore wind capacity to 40GW by the same date.
"Floating offshore projects are going to be vital in ensuring we unlock the full potential of natural resources in the windiest parts around our coastline and ensure the UK remains a world-leader in offshore wind," said Energy Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan.
"It is our ambition to ensure every home is powered by wind by 2030 and creating new leasing opportunities in the Celtic Sea will help us reach our ambitions, expanding our capabilities further and faster, creating jobs and generating investment as we continue building back greener."
The UK already has the world's largest offshore wind capacity, which currently meets 10 per cent of the country's total electricity demand. However, advocates of floating offshore wind technologies maintain they can play a critical role in the development of the sector, as they hold out the promised of reduced foundation and installation costs, as well as access to deeper water areas with higher wind speeds.