The Welsh government has today (Monday, March 13) approved Project Erebus – Wales’ first floating windfarm which will be located 40km off the coast of Pembrokeshire.
Project Erebus is set to house seven next-generation 14MW (megawatt) turbines on floating platforms, providing enough low-carbon energy to power 93,000 homes.
The Welsh government said the project is part of a move away from “an energy system dependent on expensive fossil fuels”, and will contribute to its energy targets.
First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “We are ambitious for the floating offshore 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.
“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.
“In determining the marine license and the planning consents, the Welsh government and our partners in Natural Resources Wales have enabled this project to move forward to apply for subsidy support from the UK government.”
Drakeford urged the UK government to “do its part” through the Contracts for Difference process to work with the Erebus team on Wales’ first offshore wind project.
The Welsh government said future phases of the development could see an additional 20 gigawatts of renewable energy.
Blue Gem Wind, the joint venture between TotalEnergies and Simply Blue Group, is currently on target to begin operating the 100MW Erebus project in 2026.
Mike Scott, project managing director at Blue Gem Wind, said the company welcomes the decision by Welsh ministers to grant the necessary planning consents for the project.
Scott said the company has been working with Planning and Environment Decisions Wales and other key stakeholders since 2019 to develop the project, which 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,” he said.
