The Crown Estate for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland said Monday said Tuesday it had identified, and released a map of five broad ‘Areas of Search’ for the development of 4GW of floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea by 2035.
"These areas have been identified following technical analysis and extensive engagement between The Crown Estate, the UK and Welsh governments and key agencies, and specialist stakeholders. Further stakeholder and market feedback will be used to refine the Areas of Search into smaller project development areas, within which the first generation of commercial-scale floating wind farms could be built," The Crown Estate said.
These project development areas, which are expected to deliver 4GW of floating offshore wind power by 2035, will be offered to the market via competitive tender, to be launched in mid-2023.
The Crown Estate said it would be tendering larger, 1GW-scale projects which may be developed in a phased or ‘stepping stone’ approach.
"This approach is deliberately intended to provide further opportunities for investment in the supply chain and to facilitate the co-ordination of supporting infrastructure. The Crown Estate is committed to work with and alongside other stakeholders to build a strong supply chain in the region and is exploring the options to help stimulate investment, with more information to be shared in the coming months," the Crown Estate said.
Also, The Crown Estate said that a separate new research commissioned by The Crown Estate indicates that the Celtic Sea has the economic potential to accommodate up to an additional 20GW of floating offshore wind capacity by 2045.
The Celtic Sea leasing opportunity will also give developers the option to incorporate innovations such as green hydrogen production, using renewable energy from the offshore floating wind farms, into their projects.
The Crown Estate will in 2023 also confirm seabed rights for three separate ‘Test and Demonstration’ sites in the Celtic Sea.
"Experience from these smaller-scale developments will inform the rollout of larger projects in the Celtic Sea and elsewhere," The Crown Estate said.
Greg Hands, Energy and Climate Change Minister, said: “We already have the largest offshore wind deployment in Europe. Floating technology is key to unlocking the full potential of our coastline. “We want to deliver up to 5GW of floating offshore wind by 2030. These projects can help power millions of homes with clean, and cheaper, renewable energy, reducing reliance on expensive fossil fuels.”
Julie James MS, Welsh Minister for Climate Change, said: “Our support for emerging technologies and innovation, including offshore marine energy, sit at the heart of our Programme for Government. “In the short term, we believe offshore wind will provide fantastic economic and social regeneration opportunities. Work to date suggests that up to 1,400 full time equivalent jobs could be sustained by 500 MW of floating offshore wind projects.
"To unlock additional high value employment opportunities we need additional investment in Welsh ports infrastructure and our manufacturing base to offer an end-to-end solution for developers. We have been working with the port operators and industry to encourage strategic collaborations that maximise opportunities available to our economy."