Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
Two offshore wind farms situated near the west and north coasts of Wales have recently been awarded funding by the UK government, a move expected to generate up to 7,000 new jobs. One of these, the Erebus wind farm, planned off Pembrokeshire, aims to become Wales’ inaugural floating offshore wind development, following similar ventures already established in Scotland. This project is seen as a significant step toward creating a brand-new industry in Wales, with projections suggesting it could produce as many as 5,000 jobs over the next ten years.
The second project involves more conventional offshore turbines, which are set to be built around 10 kilometers off the coast of Rhyl in Denbighshire. Both wind farms will connect to the national grid, supported by government funding initiatives designed to stimulate investment in renewable energy sectors. Floating wind farms differ from traditional fixed-foundation turbines by floating on large steel platforms anchored to the seabed, allowing construction and maintenance to be done onshore before deployment. This technology enables wind farms to be placed further out at sea, where stronger winds can be harnessed.
Located approximately 45 kilometers offshore in the Celtic Sea, the Erebus wind farm will feature between seven and ten turbines, generating 96MW of power—enough to supply roughly 90,000 homes. Blue Gem Wind, the company behind Erebus and co-owned by French energy giant Total, refers to this project as a “pathway” for expanding floating wind technology in the region. Currently, Wales lacks the infrastructure, supply chain, and workforce to produce these massive turbines, which can rival the height of skyscrapers and require specialized port facilities to manage the logistics. Welsh ports, such as Port Talbot, are candidates for contracts related to these developments, but upgrades are still needed to fully support large-scale offshore wind operations.
Scotland has already established itself as a leader in floating wind farms, with projects like Hywind Scotland and the Kincardine Offshore Wind Farm, and several more are in the pipeline. Meanwhile in Wales, it has been a decade since the last offshore wind farm commenced construction. Alongside Erebus, the Awel y Môr project, backed primarily by energy company RWE, will create between 34 and 50 turbines near the existing Gwynt y Môr wind farm off north Wales. This larger, traditional offshore wind farm could provide energy to cover about half of Wales’ households and is expected to create 2,000 construction jobs. Local officials, such as Becky Gittens MP and educational leaders like Aled Jones-Griffith, have welcomed the developments as crucial for the local economy and for offering new career paths in renewable energy.
Abi Beck from RenewableUK Cymru described floating offshore wind farms as “the new revolution,” highlighting the financial stability provided by government agreements that lock in electricity prices, thereby protecting consumers from fluctuating energy costs and reducing reliance on imported gas. Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens emphasized the announcement as a strong endorsement of Wales’ growing clean energy sector, noting that these projects will secure energy supply, create skilled employment opportunities, and help lower household bills over the long term
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.