The United Kingdom authorises 300 MW of floating wind to move forward

The Crown Estate (United Kingdom) has authorised three new test and demonstration floating wind projects totalling 300 MW in the Celtic Sea to progress to the next stage of assessment. The 100 MW Whitecross project, located off the coast of Devon and Cornwall, is developed by Offshore Wind Limited (OWL), a Cobra Instalaciones y Servicios and Flotation Energy joint venture. The Llŷr 1 and Llŷr 2 projects (2 x 100 MW), situated south of Pembroke on the Welsh coast, are developed by Floventis Energy Limited, a joint venture between SBM Offshore and Cierco Ltd. The projects will be subject to plan-level Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) to assess possible impacts on protected marine habitats. Subject to the outcome of this assessment, the applicants could then be granted seabed agreements for lease.

The United Kingdom targets 1 GW of floating wind capacity by 2030. In February 2021, Blue Gem Wind, a joint venture between Total (80%) and Simply Blue Energy (20%), submitted an environmental scoping report for the 300 MW Valorous floating offshore wind project, which would be located in the Celtic Sea. The joint venture is already developing the 96 MW Erebus demonstration floating offshore wind plant in the same area, which has already secured a lease. Total targets a final investment decision for the project by 2024.