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The Celtic Sea opportunity

The Celtic Sea has the potential to deliver over 16GW of renewable energy through floating offshore wind (FLOW).

Just 4.5GW could power up to 4 million homes.  

The UK has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. Floating offshore wind farms have a vital role to play in reaching this target and will be essential to achieving energy security.

The Crown Estate, who manage the seabed, has introduced a stepping stone approach to leasing areas of the Celtic Sea for Floating Offshore Wind Development.

The first three stages are:

Stage 1: Test & Demonstration

Stage 2: LEASING ROUND 5

Stage 3: additional capacity to be leased by 2030

stage 1: Test & Demonstration projects

Test & Demonstration (T&D) projects, also referred to as stepping-stone projects, are the first piece of the puzzle when it comes to the Celtic Sea – we cannot deploy hundreds of turbines as part of large-scale windfarms without deploying a single turbine first.

These projects will ensure a stepping-stone approach for local businesses, offering them the chance to scale-up with industry and compete for contracts on the larger commercial-scale projects likely to be delivered in the 2030s.

There are currently four proposed Test & Demonstration projects in development totalling more than 400 Megawatts:

TwinHub, developed by Hexicon

The 32 megawatt (MW) TwinHub project will be deployed within the existing Wave Hub site, approximately 16km off the coast of Hayle in Cornwall.

It will connect to the existing cable tails, which run into the Hayle substation, making full use of what has already been installed, and could power up to 45,000 homes.

Erebus, developed by Blue Gem Wind

100 MW project Erebus is a Blue Gem Wind development site located 35km of the coast of Pembrokeshire.

The finished wind farm could have as many as seven floating turbines,  enough to power over 90,000 homes.

White Cross, developed by Flotation Energy and Cobra Group JV

White Cross is a 100MW floating offshore wind project which plans to deploy technology 52km off the North Devon coast.

There will be up to eight wind turbines mounted on floating substructures, providing enough energy to power over 135,000 households.

LlÅ·r 1 & 2, developed by Floventis

The Llŷr 1 and Llŷr 2 projects make use of two separate 100MW sites located south of Pembroke, on the UK’s Welsh coast.

Each will test new floating platform and mooring technologies and explore innovative designs, materials and construction approaches.

 

stage 2: FLOATING OFFSHORE WIND LEASING ROUND 5

The Crown Estate’s ‘Floating Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5’ marks the beginning of commercial-scale FLOW development in the Celtic sea. Seabed leases are due to be awarded to three projects in 2025. Each could power up to 1 million homes.

The projects will be developed in the three PDAs, or Project Development Areas outlined in the map below.

Combined, these projects have the potential to produce up to 4.5GW of renewable energy.

For more information visit The Crown Estate’s Floating Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5 webpage.

 

stage 3: future developments 

In 2024, The Crown Estate and Great British Energy announced a new partnership to utilise the strengths of both organisations to bring to market an additional 20-30GW of offshore wind leasing opportunity by 2030 – enough to power almost 20 million homes across the UK. Much of that new capacity is expected to be in areas of the Celtic Sea.

In its Future of Offshore Wind report launched in September 2024, The Crown Estate said 4-10GW of the 12GW spatial potential previously outlined, could be leased by 2030 and in operation from 2035 to 2040.

The Crown Estate is working closely with marine users to ensure there is a balanced approach to leasing.

the celtic sea timeline 

4

2019

  • Sites identified in Celtic Sea & Scotland for Demo Projects.
5

2022

  • The Crown Estate announce intentions for the first commercial FLOW leasing round and announce the five areas they plan to research in the Celtic Sea.
4

2023

  • Erebus, Wales’ first FLOW development is granted the necessary permissions by Welsh Government to proceed with the project.
5

2024

  • Floating Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5 opens.
  • National Grid ESO publish their recommendation on where the project development areas are likely to to connect to the UK’s electricity grid.
4

2025

  • Floating Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5 preferred bidders due to be announced.

what could the celtic sea look like in the future?

Celtic Sea Leasing Round 5 is one of the largest floating offshore wind initiatives in the world and could deliver three floating wind farms with a combined output of 4.5GW.

But what does 4.5GW look like?

  • 260+ floating wind turbines.
  • Enough power for up to four million homes.
  • More than 500 miles of cables to connect turbines to the grid.
  • 1,000 anchors tethering turbines to seabed.
  • 5,000 jobs during construction phase.

the benefits & opportunities

Developments in the Celtic Sea offer immense benefits to Welsh businesses and communities, and there are still significant challenges to overcome.

The Benefits

  • FLOW will not just provide clean, sustainable electrity to Wales, it will also create social and economic value for communities.
  • The first 4.5GW of floating offshore wind is predicted to create more than 3,000 jobs and generate approx £628 million in supply chain spending.
  • Celtic Sea developments have the potential to significantly contribute to the UK’s Net Zero targets and unlock energy in new, previously untapped areas offshore.

celtic freeport

  • The Celtic Freeport covers the ports of Milford Haven and Port Talbot
  • A freeport is a designated area within a country where goods can be imported, stored and sometimes manufactured without incurring customs duties.
  • These zones stimulate trade by offering tax advantages and simplified customs procedures.
  • It’s hoped the Celtic Freeport can accelerate the low-carbon economy in Wales, support new manufacturing facilities and major port upgrades and facilitate the roll-out of FLOW in the Celtic Sea.

investment

  • It is vital that UK and Welsh Governments fully understand the importance of ports for the future of the industry.
  • We have already seen significant investment at Port Talbot and Milford Haven and the UK Government’s Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Scheme (FLOWMIS) is designed to advance the sector.
  • Further investment is needed to ensure Welsh ports are able and ready to support FLOW in the Celtic Sea.

CSDA

The Celtic Sea Developer Alliance (CSDA) is a tier within our membership for developers with an interest in floating offshore wind (FLOW) projects in the Celtic Sea.

It promotes the opportunity and acts as a single voice to influence government policy and strengthen stakeholder engagement.

Marine Energy Wales is proud to be part of the Celtic Sea Cluster, which was established to help drive market creation for floating wind, accelerate supply chain edginess and develop a strategy for enhancing regional infrastructure.

celtic sea cluster