Marine license secured for Wales’ first floating wind farm

French company TotalEnergies, in partnership with Simply Blue Group, has secured a marine license for Wales’ first floating wind farm.

The 100MW Erebus project is owned by Blue Gem Wind, a joint venture between TotalEnergies and Simply Blue Group.

Located approximately 40km off the Pembrokeshire coastline, the wind farm is planned to have seven 14MW turbines on WindFloat floating platforms.

According to the partnership, once operational, the wind farm will be able to provide enough electricity to power 93,000 households.

Mike Scott, Project Managing Director at Blue Gem Wind, said: “We welcome the decision from Natural Resources Wales to grant the marine licence for Erebus. The project, 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.”

World leader

David TC Davies, Secretary of State for Wales, said: “Wales has the potential to be a world leader in offshore wind energy, and floating technology is key to unlocking the full potential of our coastlines as it generates economic growth and highly skilled jobs.

“The UK Government is investing in this sector which will help us achieve our net zero ambitions as well as playing an important role in providing secure sources of energy. This latest milestone for Blue Gem is a positive step forward for this expanding sector in Wales.”

The wind farm is named after HMS Erebus, a heavy-duty bomb vessel constructed by the Royal Navy in Pembroke dockyard in 1826.

The vessel was the second in the Royal Navy named after Erebus, the personification of darkness in Greek mythology.

The wind farm is due to be commissioned in 2026.