Swedish floating wind tech firm Hexicon said Friday its Twin Hub stepping stone project had been awarded a marine license for the installation of an offshore floating wind demonstrator in the Celtic Sea.
"Twin Hub floating demonstrator project in the Celtic Sea has now been awarded a marine licence, for a renewable energy test site in Cornwall, South West England. The marine licence is the latest consent for the project which was awarded a Section 36 consent in 2020," said the developer of a twin-turbine floating foundation.
Hexicon completed the acquisition in July 2021 of the consented site and will deploy Hexicon’s its twin-turbine floating foundation for a 30-40MW floating offshore wind demonstration project.
Hexicon is working with Bechtel, a global leader in engineering, construction, and project management to deliver the scheme.
"The project is set to be the first floating offshore wind project in the Celtic Sea, a key stepping stone to the UK Government achieving its targetted 1GW of floating wind by 2030. The Celtic Sea is an important area for floating offshore wind development, with plans for up to 4GW of new floating wind capacity to be unlocked in the Celtic Sea by 2035, as announced by The Crown Estate in November 2021," Hexicon said.
Hexicon said it believed its project would be the first stepping stone to facilitating future projects in the Celtic Sea.
Hexicon’s CEO Marcus Thor said:"We hope that the TwinHub project will set a precedence for floating wind in the Celtic Sea. Being first up offers an opportunity for both us and the local supply chain to develop together, and build long-term relationships to support Hexicon’s long-term ambition of developing large-scale floating wind projects in the UK. These projects will be capable of delivering consistent and secure renewable energy at the lowest possible cost. We look forward to developing these relationships in the coming years and supporting the plans for the Celtic Sea.”
The project plans to utilize existing infrastructure already installed on the site, including an offshore export cable, onshore substation, and existing grid connection agreements.