UK seabed manager The Crown Estate has awarded rights to Blue Gem Wind, the joint venture between the oil giant Total and project developer Simply Blue Energy, to develop a floating wind farm in the Celtic Sea.
The 96MW Erebus project, which claims to be Wales‘ first floating offshore wind farm, will be located in the Welsh waters of the Celtic Sea, some 44 kilometres from shore.
The award of seabed rights, known as an ‘Agreement for Lease’, will allow Blue Gem Wind to progress with environmental assessments and surveys and seek planning consent for the project.
Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths, said: “The climate emergency means we will need much more renewable energy to meet our needs, and Welsh Government has supported the development of marine energy for many years.”
Hugh Kelly, Project Managing Director, commented: “This first project in Wales will begin to unlock the significant potential of floating wind in the Celtic Sea. 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.”
