Natural Resources Wales has awarded marine licences for RWE’s Awel y Môr offshore wind project off the North Wales Coast.
The offshore wind farm, which could power more than half of Wales’ homes, has secured all of its necessary planning approvals with the award of its marine licences from Natural Resources Wales, RWE said.
The marine licences have been awarded on behalf of Welsh Government ministers following the granting of a Development Consent Order in September.
“As the culmination of more than five years’ work involving extensive consultation and data gathering, this is a significant achievement for the team. They are now hard at work refining the plans for construction both offshore and onshore, and taking the necessary steps to enable us to take a Final Investment Decision,” said Tamsyn Rowe , Project Lead.
Awel y Môr is also one of seven UK offshore wind farm developments for which the Crown Estate is assessing requests to increase generation capacity over and above the project’s initial Agreement for Lease while staying within its existing consent boundaries.
Awel y Môr is planned to be operational before 2030 with a maximum of 50 turbines at a maximum height of 332 metres.
The project will be located 10.5 kilometres off the Welsh coast in the Irish Sea, alongside the operational 576 MW Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm with its grid connection planned to reach the shoreline between Rhyl and Prestatyn.
RWE is developing Awel y Môr, in a joint venture with partners Stadtwerke München (30 per cent) and Siemens Financial Services, the financing arm of Siemens (10 per cent).