By Charlie Allen, FLOW Project Manager at Marine Energy Wales.
2025 was a year of steady and necessary progress for offshore wind in Wales. Despite political uncertainty and increasingly vocal opposition to renewables, the sector continued to move forward.
We saw enabling milestones in consents, seabed leases together with policy signals from UK and Welsh Government and an increasing focus on supply chain investment.
While the economic benefits for ports, businesses and communities will take time to materialise, these developments represent important early steps in moving offshore wind from long-held ambition toward delivery.
“Progress in 2025 has been less about immediate outcomes on the ground and more about reducing risk, building confidence and creating the conditions required for future investment.”
This piece reflects on key milestones throughout 2025, celebrating the successes of organisations, projects, and individuals, and sets the scene as the sector looks ahead to the UK Government’s pivotal Allocation Round 7 in early 2026.
Key milestones for offshore wind in Wales in 2025
May 2025
Awel y Môr included in The Crown Estate’s Capacity Increase Programme
RWE’s Awel y Môr was identified as part of The Crown Estate’s Capacity Increase Programme, an initiative designed to unlock up to 4.7 GW of additional generation capacity across seven existing offshore wind projects in England and Wales.
As one of the projects included in the programme, Awel y Môr can increase capacity within its existing lease area. This approach reflects a growing focus on maximising existing project areas as a lower-risk route to delivering additional clean power, while making more efficient use of established grid connections and infrastructure.
The programme highlights the growing policy focus on maximising existing infrastructure as a pragmatic step toward meeting near-term clean energy targets.
Click here to find out more the Crown Estate’s Capacity Increase Programme.
June 2025
Floating Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5 conclusion
In June, The Crown Estate’s Floating Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5 concluded, with the Gwynt Glas joint venture (EDF Power Solutions and ESB) and Equinor named as preferred bidders for Project Development Area 1 and 3 respectively, each with up to 1.5 GW capacity.
This long-anticipated milestone provided greater clarity for Wales and the wider Celtic Sea region, reinforcing its emerging role in the UK’s floating offshore wind ambitions. For developers, ports, supply chains and communities, the announcement helped to strengthen confidence that Celtic Sea projects are progressing toward delivery.
At the same time, preferred bidder status marks the start of a multi-year development process rather than an immediate move to construction. The awards provide a clearer framework for long-term planning, skills development and investment readiness across the region.
The Crown Estate’s Floating Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5 Conclusion.
Welsh Government’s Offshore Wind Action Plan
Also in June, the Welsh Government published the Offshore Wind Task and Finish Group Action Plan for 2025–26. The Action Plan prioritises actions in key areas such as consenting, supply chain, ports, market readiness and skills to ensure that Wales captures the economic benefits from offshore wind deployed in Wales.
The Action Plan recognises that capturing greater economic value from offshore wind will depend on sustained and coordinated action over several years. By focusing on addressing long-standing barriers to delivery, it provides an important policy signal that Wales is seeking to position itself competitively as offshore wind deployment accelerates.
Read about the action plan here.
July 2025
Mona Offshore Wind Farm Granted Development Consent
In July 2025, development consent was granted for the Mona Offshore Wind Farm, a major project in Welsh waters of the east Irish Sea. The project led by a joint venture between JERA Nex bp and Energie Baden-Württemberg AG (EnBW) will have an approximate capacity of 1.5 GW. The project is expected to support around 3,420 jobs across its lifetime, with employment opportunities phased over design, construction and operation.
However, the accompanying announcement of investment into Belfast Harbour serves as a timely reminder that proximity to projects does not automatically translate into local investment. For ports in South Wales considering the Celtic Sea floating offshore wind opportunity, realising these opportunities will depend not only on project progress, but on sustained competitiveness, coordination, and readiness across the Welsh supply chain.
Find out more about the consent.
August 2025
White Cross Granted Consent by North Devon Council
In August 2025, the White Cross floating offshore wind project a 100 MW test and demonstration scheme developed by Flotation Energy and Cobra in the Celtic Sea received full onshore and offshore planning consent.
Five test and demonstration projects are being developed in the Celtic Sea and are important stepping stones for floating offshore wind development in the region, providing an opportunity to refine installation and operational experience in deeper waters ahead of larger commercial developments. While their scale is modest relative to the multi-gigawatt projects planned through Round 5 and future leasing rounds, the T&D projects help to build understanding of consenting processes, supply chain requirements and community engagement, all of which are extremely valuable as the sector moves toward commercial deployment in the Celtic Sea.
Find out more about the consent.
October 2025
Gwynt Glas and Equinor enter Agreements for Lease
In October 2025, The Crown Estate announced that Equinor and the Gwynt Glas project had entered agreements for lease for their floating offshore wind projects in the Celtic Sea, marking another key milestone for the Round 5 floating offshore wind projects in the Celtic Sea.
While significant work remains before final investment decisions and construction can take place, Agreements for Lease represent a crucial step in progressing projects toward delivery.
Read more about the agreements for lease.
November 2025
Ocean Winds Awarded Project Development Area 2 in the Celtic Sea
On 19 November 2025, it was announced that Ocean Winds had been selected by The Crown Estate to develop the third floating offshore wind site (PDA 2) in the Celtic Sea. The site was awarded through a direct award process, and also could support up to 1.5 GW of floating offshore wind capacity in the Celtic Sea.
The award completed the Round 5 portfolio, unlocking the development of up to 4.5 GW of floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea. It also marked an important step in building investor confidence in the region and advancing the UK’s move toward commercial-scale floating offshore wind development.
Find out more about Ocean Winds.
2026 decisions: Allocation Round 7 and keeping investment flowing
The progress made in 2025 demonstrates that offshore wind in Wales is advancing carefully, deliberately, and with growing coordination.
Alongside the emerging opportunities in the Celtic Sea, continued progress on the Mona and Awel y Môr projects in North Wales is significant for Wales. Together, these projects offer nearer-term signals of delivery in North Wales, while also reinforcing the wider offshore wind pipeline that will support longer-term investment and capacity building in Welsh ports and supply chain
As attention turns to Allocation Round 7 in early 2026, the focus will be on maintaining confidence and momentum while being clear with stakeholders about delivery timelines for these projects. For ports, businesses and communities, the opportunity presented by offshore wind is significant, but it will be realised over years rather than months.
Within this context, the success of test and demonstration projects in Allocation Round 7 will be particularly important. These early projects will play a critical role in de-risking floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea, enabling learning by doing, building regional capability, and helping to establish supply chains in Wales ahead of larger-scale deployment. If progressed successfully, they can set the pace for future projects, support early economic activity, and ensure that lessons and opportunities are captured locally as the sector moves toward commercial scale deployment.