DP Energy has unveiled plans for a 300 MW floating offshore wind farm in the Celtic Sea, at a site located in the waters between the West Wales and South West of England.
The project, named Gwynt Glas (Welsh for blue wind), could generate enough renewable energy to supply up to 300,000 homes.
Site research and detailed studies have been underway for some time, resulting in the identification of an area of interest encompassing some 1,500 square kilometres, and this site is now being investigated by remote aerial surveys for marine mammal and bird activity, according the company.
DP Energy also said it had started engagement with key stakeholders and that it was commencing wide consultations with all interested parties for the area which is situated some 70 kilometres offshore.
“DP Energy has been laying the foundations for this project and its broader Celtic Sea aspirations for several years and welcomed the announcement from The Crown Estate in March 2021 that it was commencing work to design and deliver a new leasing opportunity for early commercial-scale floating wind projects in this seabed area”, the company said.
As reported in July, the Crown Estate selected three floating offshore wind demonstration projects through its leasing opportunity for early commercial-scale floating wind projects launched earlier this year, after announcing the new leasing opportunity in March.
The three projects, each having an installed capacity of 100 MW, are being developed by two joint ventures: Offshore Wind Ltd (OWL), a joint venture between Cobra and Flotation Energy, and Floventis Energy Limited, a joint venture between SBM Offshore and Cierco.
On 11 November, the UK’s seabed manager announced that it had developed proposals for a new floating wind leasing round for areas in the Celtic Sea, which could unlock up to 4 GW of new capacity in England and Wales.
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Crown Estate Drafts Leasing Plan to Unlock 4 GW of Floating Wind Capacity in Celtic Sea
Namely, the Crown Estate plans to initiate a new leasing process to procure additional floating wind capacity, which could see rights awarded by the end of 2023 and the selected projects entering operation from 2030 into the early part of the next decade.