European energy company seals the deal for floating wind farm off North Devon

The lease for a third floating windfarm in the Celtic Sea 30 miles off North Devon’s coast has been agreed with European renewable energy giant Ocean Winds.

The Crown Estate announced today (Tuesday, March 3) that as part of the Round 5 process the Spanish, Portuguese and French-owned company now has exclusive rights to take the 1.5 gigawatt development forward.

Ocean Winds will join Equinor and Gwynt Glas in progressing the three sites between the North Devon and Cornwall coasts and South Wales.

READ MORE: Rights to third floating wind farm off North Devon awarded to European company

Each site could potentially produce enough power for more than one million homes and the Crown Estate says together they would be enough to power four million homes and could lead to the creation of more than 5,000 jobs and deliver a £1.4billion boost to the UK economy.

Ocean Winds is a 50-50 venture between EDP Renewables - which has its headquarters in Madrid but whose parent company is Portuguese utility company EDPR – and France-based ENGIE.

Ocean Winds delivered the world’s first semi-submersible floating wind farm, WindFloat Atlantic, in Portugal in 2020 and has UK locations including Moray East and Moray West.

The company will now focus on developing project designs, delivering onshore and offshore site surveys, environmental impact assessments (EIA), public engagement and securing planning consents.

Once these have been completed, it can apply to obtain a lease from the Crown Estate to build and operate the wind farm, which could be up and running by the mid-2030s.

Julia Rose, head of offshore wind at The Crown Estate, said: “Round 5 is such an exciting opportunity to establish an innovative new technology at commercial scale in the UK, supporting many new jobs whilst also contributing to our national energy security and clean energy transition.

“Ocean Winds entering into an agreement for lease for their site in the Celtic Sea is a significant moment and testament to the attractiveness of the UK’s world-leading offshore wind sector. We’re delighted they have achieved this milestone and look forward to working closely with them as they begin their development stage.”

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Adam Morrison, UK country manager at Ocean Winds added: “Signing the Agreement for Lease for the Celtic Sea site demonstrates our commitment to the development of commercial scale floating offshore wind in the UK.

“Over the coming years we will begin early-stage development work, engaging with local stakeholders to identify opportunities to deliver lasting benefits to our local communities whilst supporting the UK’s energy security and net zero objectives.”

Energy minister Michael Shanks called it ‘a big step forward’ for Britain’s clean energy future.

He added: “We’re seeing real momentum behind floating offshore wind and we're backing an industry where the UK has the expertise to lead.

"This project will mean new skilled jobs and opportunities for communities across Wales and the South West of England. Offshore wind is the backbone of a secure energy system, and today’s milestone shows we’re getting on with the job - investment, jobs and clean, home grown power that we control.”