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Welsh floating wind project secures marine licence

By: Tom Russell 23/02/2023 Blue Gem Wind

Floating General

Blue Gem Wind, a joint venture between TotalEnergies and Simply Blue Group, has secured a marine licence for the 100 MW Erebus project.

Working with OWC, MarineSpace, ITPEnergised and Burges Salmon, and following a Environmental Impact Assessment process, Blue Gem Wind was granted a marine licence for the Erebus project on 17 February 2023.

Erebus is poised to be Wales’ first floating wind farm and is located approx 40 km off the Pembrokeshire coastline. It will feature a total of seven turbines, each with a 14 MW capacity. Blue Gem Wind stated that the project is due to be commissioned in 2026 and marks the start of its stepping stone approach to floating wind development in the Celtic Sea.

Mike Scott, Project Managing Director at Blue Gem Wind, said: “We welcome the decision from Natural Resources Wales to grant the marine licence for Erebus. The project, which will be the first floating wind farm in Wales, will play a crucial role in advancing the deployment of what will become a globally important low carbon technology.”

Sean Evans, Consenting Manager, Blue Gem Wind, added: “We have been working with Natural Resources Wales and other key stakeholders since 2019 to develop a test & demonstration scale project that balances the need for low carbon energy with that of the natural environment, and minimises impacts to local communities and stakeholders. We are delighted to have achieved this milestone for the project.”

David TC Davies, Secretary of State for Wales, said: “Wales has the potential to be a world leader in offshore wind energy, and floating technology is key to unlocking the full potential of our coastlines as it generates economic growth and highly-skilled jobs. The UK Government is investing in this sector which will help us achieve our net zero ambitions as well as playing an important role in providing secure sources of energy. This latest milestone for Blue Gem is a positive step forward for this expanding sector in Wales.”

The Erebus partners are planning to use Principle Power’s WindFloat technology. WindFloat is a semi-submersible floating foundation with "water entrapment plates" fitted onto the bottom of the three pillars and a static and dynamic ballast system to enable stability.

In addition to Erebus, Blue Gem Wind is also developing the 300 MW Valorous project approximately 50 km South West of the Pembrokeshire coastline. It is situated in water depths of 70 – 84 metres and will feature around 27 turbines.

For more information on floating offshore wind farms worldwide, click here.

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Welsh floating wind project secures marine licence

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