Never one to shy away from innovation, Wales is set to make its renewable energy sector even more buoyant thanks to plans for a new floating offshore windfarm.
Project Erebus, as it is known, will be Wales’ first floating windfarm and is set to be installed off the coast of Pembrokeshire.
The development, which is a joint venture between TotalEnergies and Simply Blue Group, will consist of seven individual turbines that have the capacity to generate enough clean electricity to power 93,000 homes. Scheduled to become operational in 2026, the project is the first phase in a large-scale, multi-year renewable energy development in the Celtic Sea, which could ultimately provide enough power for four million homes.
Speaking about the development, First Minister Mark Drakeford said, ‘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.
‘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, open up new markets for local suppliers, and create thousands of high-quality jobs in Wales,’ Mr Drakeford added.
The unique windfarm, which now must seek subsidy support from the UK government, is just one of a number of wind-energy projects currently taking place in Wales. Other initiatives include the creation of the UK’s first community-owned windfarm, which opened in March 2022, and plans for a new state-owned renewable energy company, which will focus on developing onshore wind projects on the Welsh Government woodland estate.
These developments all feed into the Welsh government’s goal of meeting 100 per cent of the country’s electricity needs through renewable sources by 2035.
Learn more about how Wales is striving to become an increasingly sustainable nation.
