Celtic Sea floating windfarms project shortlisted for £30m boost

Scheme would see latest energy generating technology placed in the Atlantic Ocean off Wales and the South West

How a floating windfarm could look in the Celtic Sea off the South West and Wales (Image: Statoil)

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Plans to build floating windfarms in the Celtic Sea off the South West to generate clean power and create thousands of green jobs have taken a major step forward after being shortlisted for more than £30million of funding.

The South West Floating Offshore Wind Accelerator has been chosen to work up a detailed bid for potential Government funding provided through UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) flagship Strength in Places Fund.

UKRI is providing £50,000 of early-stage funding to support development of the bid following a successful stage one application.

The project aims to build on Cornwall and Plymouth’s world-renowned excellence in offshore renewables business and research to fast-track the construction of large scale floating offshore windfarms in the Celtic Sea from the mid-2020s onwards.

The South West Floating Offshore Wind Accelerator is being led by Wave Hub, the Cornwall Council-owned marine renewables research and technology organisation, in collaboration with the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), University of Plymouth, University of Exeter, the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, A&P Group, Cornwall Council and Plymouth City Council.

Floating platforms can access stronger winds in deeper waters than conventional fixed offshore wind turbines. The Celtic Sea, which is an area off the coast of Cornwall and West Wales and south of Ireland, has one of the best wind resources in Europe.

A report published earlier this year by ORE Catapult and commissioned by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP and the Welsh Government said a floating wind industry in the Celtic Sea could support 3,200 jobs in the South West and Wales and £682million of spend in the local supply chain by 2030, powering hundreds of thousands of homes.

Nationally the industry could support 17,000 jobs and generate £33.6billion of economic activity, with huge export potential.

The UKRI’s first stage award will allow the project partners to work up a full stage bid for submission to the SIPF in November, which has £236million available in the latest funding round and makes awards of between £10million and up to £50million in exceptional cases. Awards will be announced next year.

The quality of the South West’s bid was commended by UKRI’s lead on the Strength in Places Fund, David Sweeney, who said: “I am delighted to be able to award early-stage funding to this bid which has great potential to benefit the local area through supporting innovation and sustained growth, and strengthen collaboration between industry and our world-class research base.”

Steve Jermy, executive chair of Wave Hub, based in Hayle in Cornwall, said: “We’re delighted UKRI has recognised the strength of our bid and that we can progress to the next round. The Great South West has the potential to make a decisive contribution to the UK’s offshore wind energy targets by developing a new floating wind industry that can create thousands of jobs with huge export potential.”

Mark Duddridge, chair of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP, which has been driving the Celtic Sea initiative for the last two years, said: “This project is about global innovation in a high value industry and is a cornerstone of our Local Industrial Strategy. It is an opportunity to lead a post-pandemic green recovery and make a huge contribution to the UK’s economy and the fight against climate change.”

Steve Hindley, chair of the Great South West Partnership, which includes the LEP areas covering Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, the Heart of the South West and Dorset, said: “The Great South West is a powerhouse economy with the ambition and potential to become the UK leader in the green and blue economy, with projects such as this one delivering clean energy and generating clean growth.”

Professor Deborah Greaves, head of the University of Plymouth’s School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics, and director of the Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy Hub, said: “The South West is perfectly placed to advance the development of offshore renewable energy on behalf of the whole country – something that has been acknowledged by UKRI through this funding award.”

Prof Lars Johanning of the University of Exeter, deputy head of engineering, said: “The deployment of industrial scale floating offshore wind (FLOW) in the Celtic Sea represents a once in a generation opportunity to drive investment and economic growth in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Wales and the Great South West. Developer interest and activity has already commenced and there needs to be an industrial response to the supply chain opportunity.”

Tudor Evans, leader of Plymouth City Council, said: “We’re focusing on driving recovery, so the prospect of creating new, high-value jobs which help address the climate emergency is welcomed. Plymouth is home to world-leading research institutions and businesses that will be able to maximise this brilliant opportunity, so we look forward to working together in this partnership to deliver a winning proposal for the SIPF funding.”

Drystan Jones, port operations director, Falmouth Docks and Engineering Company, part of the A&P Group, said: “A&P’s ambition is simple – to help make Falmouth and the wider South West economy a prime hub for the offshore wind sector.”

Dr Stephen Wyatt, director of research and disruptive innovation at ORE Catapult said: “Accelerating the deployment of floating offshore wind is critical to meet the UK’s net-zero targets. This project will help boost both regional supply chain capability and drive up UK content in the offshore wind sector.”

Tim Dwelly, Cornwall Council cabinet member for economy, culture and planning, said: “The development of the Floating Offshore sector is so exciting for Cornwall because of its potential to generate green energy on a massive scale whilst simultaneously creating new employment in the marine sector, which is a sector in which Cornwall already excels.”

Edwina Hannaford, Cornwall Council cabinet member for climate change and neighbourhoods, said: “This ambitious programme will drive the development of floating offshore wind farm technology for Cornwall and bring environmental economic benefits for our residents with a significant increase in renewable energy generation and the creation of a raft of green jobs.”

Business Secretary Alok Sharma said: “We are backing our innovators and with the support they need to turn great ideas into first-class industries, products and technologies.

“I am delighted we are helping to kick start plans for a pioneering offshore renewable energy research project across Cornwall and Plymouth which will build on local strengths, helping to create jobs, while developing new skillsets and increased productivity across south west England.”