Image: Marine Power Systems
The Welsh Government has invested £8 million in Swansea-based company Marine Power Systems (MPS), to accelerate the commercialisation and scale-up of the company’s deep-water offshore wind platform technology.
Marine Power Systems (MPS) is the UK’s leading deep-water wind developer, and the funding will help bring its technology to full commercial use.
The investment will also lay the foundations for a large-scale manufacturing facility in Wales, creating high-value jobs and strengthening local supply chains, with wider benefits for Wales’s net zero ambitions.
The funding follows recent Welsh successes in Contract for Difference auction rounds, supporting the broader goal of building a supply chain capable of servicing the offshore wind sector, including the deployment of turbines in deeper water.
Unlocking the world’s largest offshore wind opportunity
Around 80% of the world’s offshore wind resource sits in water too deep for traditional turbine platforms to reach, and deploying offshore wind in these deeper waters has historically been complex, costly and difficult to scale.
Marine Power Systems say they have spent years tackling these challenges across engineering, logistics, fabrication and deployment. The result is PelaFlex – a flexible, deep-water platform solution engineered to deliver a step-change in cost efficiency, manufacturability and large-scale deployment.
The company says their technology will simplify fabrication, installation and long-term operations, offering a practical, scalable pathway for deploying offshore wind farms further offshore, where wind resources are stronger and more consistent.
“A catalytic moment for deep-water offshore wind”
Deep-water offshore wind represents one of the most important growth areas in the global energy transition. By enabling the cost-effective deployment of offshore wind in deeper waters, MPS is helping unlock a major new clean energy industry. One capable of delivering substantial environmental, economic and industrial value.
With the support of Welsh Government, MPS say they are now on a clear trajectory toward realising this commercial vision, while delivering long-term benefits to the UK.
Dr Gareth Stockman, CEO of Marine Power Systems described it as a catalytic step toward making deep-water offshore wind a practical reality at industrial scale.
CEO at Marine Power Systems, Dr Gareth Stockman said:
This investment from the Welsh Government is a powerful vote of confidence in Marine Power Systems, our technology and our team. PelaFlex has been designed specifically to unlock deep-water offshore wind, where the majority of the world’s wind resource lies.
With this support we can accelerate commercialisation, scale deployment and help establish the UK as a global centre for deep-water wind innovation and manufacturing. It’s a catalytic step toward making deep-water offshore wind a practical reality at industrial scale.
Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Rebecca Evans said:
This investment in Marine Power Systems is another exciting step in Wales’s journey to becoming a global leader in offshore wind.
Alongside major projects like Awel y Môr and Erebus, supporting innovative companies like Marine Power Systems helps us build a high-value supply chain, creates skilled jobs and helps us meet global and national net zero targets. We have the talent, the technology and the ambition – and this funding helps turn that ambition into reality.
Programme Manager at Marine Energy Wales, Tom Hill, said:
Innovation in deep-water offshore wind will play an important role in delivering the next generation of offshore renewable energy projects in areas like the Celtic Sea. It’s encouraging to see continued investment that supports innovation while helping to build a strong domestic supply chain here in Wales.