Wales lands two offshore wind contracts for 2030-31 delivery

Wales secured two of the eight offshore wind project wins in the UK government’s latest offshore wind auction, unlocking £2.6 billion (US$3.4 billion) in investment and delivering enough clean electricity to power nearly 1 million homes.

 

The successful bids were for RWE’s Awel y Môr fixed‑bottom wind farm in North Wales and Blue Gem Wind’s Erebus floating wind demonstration project in the Celtic Sea. Both projects are slated for delivery by 2030-31.

 

“With this successful Contracts for Difference award, one of Wales’s largest renewable energy investments can now progress toward the next phase of development with confidence," said Philippa Powell, project lead for Awel y Môr. “Our next steps will include further onshore and offshore site investigations ahead of construction, while continuing to work closely with local communities, suppliers and stakeholders."

 

Hugh Kelly, CEO of Simply Blue Group, added, “We welcome the announcement of the AR7 results, particularly the awarding of a Contract for Difference for our Erebus project. This is a milestone for the project and for floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea.”

 

Previously, the nation captured less than 2% of auctioned capacity over the past decade.