Plans advance for Celtic Sea wind farm

Nation.Cymru staff

Plans for a major floating offshore wind farm in the Celtic Sea have reached a key milestone after developers submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scoping Report to regulators.

The proposed Gwynt Glas Offshore Wind Farm has lodged the report with the Planning Inspectorate, Natural Resources Wales and the Marine Management Organisation, marking the start of the formal environmental assessment process.

The scoping report sets out the environmental topics and assessment methods that developers propose to include in the full Environmental Impact Assessment. Regulators and other stakeholders will now be invited to provide feedback before the project’s design is progressed.

If approved, Gwynt Glas could generate up to 1.5GW of electricity, making it one of the largest renewable energy projects planned for the Celtic Sea. The development is classed as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project and will require development consent from the UK Government, as well as marine licences, before construction can begin.

The project is being developed by Gwynt Glas, a joint venture between EDF power solutions and ESB.

Project director Mark Hazelton described the submission as an important step in the development process.

He said: “The submission of our Scoping Report is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire Gwynt Glas team. It underscores our commitment to delivering a world-class project that will provide energy security, create jobs and strengthen the UK’s position as a global leader in offshore wind.

“We also look forward to engaging with local communities as we develop our proposals, helping to ensure the project progresses successfully and delivers lasting benefits.”

Public consultation events are expected to take place during autumn 2026, giving communities an opportunity to comment on the proposals before a development consent application is submitted.

The Gwynt Glas scheme forms part of wider plans to develop floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea, an area seen as having significant potential to help meet UK and Welsh renewable energy targets while supporting new jobs in ports, manufacturing and the wider supply chain.

Onshore and offshore wind farms

EDF power solutions said it currently operates 50 renewable energy sites across the UK and Ireland, including onshore and offshore wind farms, battery storage and solar projects, and aims to have 10GW of renewable capacity in development or operation by 2035.

ESB, Ireland’s state-owned electricity utility, employs around 9,600 people and supplies electricity and gas to almost 1.9 million customer accounts across Ireland and Great Britain.

The EIA Scoping Report is available to view on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.