First Welsh Floating Wind Project Secures Seabed Rights

The Crown Estate has awarded Blue Gem Wind with seabed rights to develop the 96 MW Erebus project, Wales’ first floating offshore wind farm.

The Agreement for Lease will allow the joint venture between Simply Blue Energy and Total to progress with environmental assessments and surveys, and seek planning consent for the project through the statutory processes.

“This first project in Wales will begin to unlock the significant potential of floating wind in the Celtic Sea,” said Hugh Kelly, Project Managing Director.

“It is the first of the stepping-stone projects required to launch a new chapter in the development of offshore energy in the South West; a new industry that can deliver significant benefits for the local supply chain and the coastal communities of Wales and the wider UK.”

The project comes forward as part of The Crown Estate’s ongoing Offshore Wind Test and Demonstration opportunity, designed to facilitate pre-commercial innovation through the trial of new and emerging technologies in live conditions.

Simply Blue Energy and Total established the Blue Gem Wind joint venture earlier this year to develop floating offshore wind sites in Welsh waters of the Celtic Sea.

Erebus, which represents the first demonstration site, will feature up to 10 turbines on WindFloat platforms located approximately 44km southwest of the Pembrokeshire coastline.