Commenting on today’s announcement by The Crown Estate of the results of Floating Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5 for sites in the Celtic Sea off the south coast of Wales and the south west coast of England, Director of RenewableUK Cymru Jessica Hooper said:  
“We welcome this announcement of the first two large-scale floating wind sites in the Celtic Sea, as this technology has the potential to be transformative for the Welsh economy. Wales is poised to play a leading role in offshore wind. Over the next decade alone, there is up to £32 billion in economic value at stake, a £4.8 billion opportunity for Welsh businesses, alongside more than 3,000 well-paid jobs..  

“Despite challenging market conditions, we’re pleased to see a successful outcome for Equinor and Gwynt Glas — a joint venture between EDF Renewables UK and ESB — marking an important first step in building a much-needed pipeline of projects in the Celtic Sea.  To maximise the benefits of this technology and the investment in local facilities and supply chains we need long-term visibility on future leasing rounds and support in the upcoming clean power auction to start building out projects in Welsh waters and across the UK  This will provide certainty for developers and investors to scale up new floating wind supply chains and ensure that workers have the right skills to make Wales a world leader in this cutting-edge technology”. 

RenewableUK’s Deputy Chief Executive Jane Cooper said: 
“Awarding leases to the first two sites for floating wind projects in the Celtic Sea marks a significant step forward for this innovative technology which is set to play a major role in the UK’s future clean energy mix. Ports in south Wales and the south west of England have the potential to manufacture and assemble floating turbines, including giant platforms the size of football pitches, creating thousands of highly-skilled jobs. There will also be long-term opportunities in operations and maintenance, supporting local supply chains and providing sustained employment throughout the lifecycle of these projects.”  

“But this is just the start – the UK already has one of the largest floating project pipelines in the world, so we have an opportunity to deliver green economic growth at scale. Our analysis shows that by 2050, floating turbines could provide a third of the UK’s offshore wind capacity with 40 gigawatts fully operational - enough to power every home in the country. By then, our research shows that the UK’s floating wind industry could employ 97,000 people, contributing £47 billion to our economy by building and supplying projects here as well as exporting our cutting-edge technology worldwide". 

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: RenewableUK