Government greenlight clears TotalEnergies-led Welsh floating wind flagship for 2026 start-up
Blue Gem Wind consortium's in-development 96MW Erebus project to lead off first phase of multi-gigascale offshore clean energy ambition in UK's Celtic Sea
The Welsh government has granted consent for the country’s first floating wind farm, the 96MW Erebus being developed in the UK Celtic Sea by TotalEnergies and Simply Blue under the Blue Gem Wind banner.
The project, sited in 75 metres of water some 40km off the coast of Pembrokeshire, will be built around seven as-yet-unspecified 14MW turbines mated to semisubmersible steel hulls being supplied by Principle Power, with the array set to generate enough power for almost 100,000 homes once brought online in 2026.
“We are ambitious for the floating wind sector in Wales – we believe it has the potential to deliver sustainable sources of energy into the future and it is also a once-in-a-generation opportunity to open up new markets for local suppliers and to create thousands of high-quality jobs in Wales,” said Wales’ first minister Mark Drakeford.
“The Erebus project has the potential to show the world that Wales and the Celtic Sea can deliver renewable energy alongside the sustainable management of our marine resources.”
Blue Gem project managing director Mike Scott said: “We welcome the decision from Welsh ministers to grant the necessary planning consents for project Erebus and have been working with Planning and Environment Decisions Wales and other key stakeholders since 2019 to develop a project that is sympathetic to the natural environment and minimises impacts to local communities and stakeholders.
“Erebus, 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.”
The UK government wants to bring 4GW of floating wind projects off southwest England and Wales via a tender later this year, as the first phase of a longer-view plant to have 24GW of deepwater arrays operating in the Celtic Sea by 2045, creating a $60bn economy and tens of thousands of jobs.
“I urge the UK government to do its part through the CfD process to drive the industry forward by working with the Erebus team to secure the first floating offshore wind project in Welsh waters, bringing jobs and green energy to our communities.”