Simply Blue Energy, a pioneering Celtic Sea energy developer, and Total, one of the world’s largest energy companies, have established a partnership to develop floating wind projects in the Welsh waters of the Celtic Sea.
The first development will be Erebus, a 96MW demonstration project at water depths of 70m, for which an application has already been submitted to the Crown Estate.
This new partnership between Total and Simply Blue Energy opens a new chapter in the development of renewable energy in the 海角视频.
Developing the potential of the Celtic Sea will make a positive contribution to the 海角视频’s target of reaching Net-Zero by 2050, whilst offering exciting new opportunities for industry in areas such as Wales and Cornwall.
The intention is that the project will be developed to use Principle Power’s Windfloat® technology, one of the most advanced floating technologies worldwide.
In a recent report, the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult has advised that there could be as much as 50GW of electricity capacity available in the Celtic Sea in Irish and 海角视频 waters. This is a significant amount of capacity given that the Committee on Climate Change suggests the 海角视频 will need at least 75GW of operating offshore wind capacity to reach the net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions target by 2050.
It is estimated by the Catapult that the first GW in the Celtic Sea, could potentially deliver 3,000 jobs and £682m in supply chain opportunities for Wales and Cornwall over the next ten years.
Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman & CEO of Total said: “With its entry into floating offshore wind, Total confirms its ambition to contribute to the development of renewable energy worldwide. Floating offshore wind is an extremely promising and technical segment where Total brings its extensive expertise in offshore operations & maintenance.
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"Total has the appropriate skills to meet the technological and financial requirements that determine the success of future floating offshore developments”.
Sam Roch-Perks, Managing Director of Simply Blue Energy said: “We are delighted to have signed the agreement with Total. Together we will progress the first stepping-stone projects that will allow the local supply chain to build up their capabilities to help deliver the larger projects that will be developed for the 2030s. It is like being in Aberdeen in the 1960s except from Pembroke we look out onto a sea that can deliver wind energy, helping the 海角视频 reach its 2050 Net-Zero target”.
The Celtic Sea describes the sea to the south of Wales to the north of Devon and Cornwall. It stretches as far west as Ireland and south to the coast of Brittany.