Welsh Ministers have granted a Section 36 consent with deemed planning permission to Blue Gem Wind consortium to build and operate the Erebus floating wind project.
The news follows the recent decision by Natural Resources Wales to provide the joint venture between TotalEnergies and Simply Blue Group with a marine licence.
Erebus is Wales’ first planned floating wind farm. It is located around 40 kilometers off the Pembrokeshire coastline.
It will feature seven 14MW wind turbines on floating platforms, providing enough electricity to power 93,000 homes.
First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, said: “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 and it is also a once-in-a-generation opportunity to open up new markets for local suppliers and to create thousands of high-quality jobs in Wales."
“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.
“In determining the marine license and the planning consents, the Welsh Government and our partners in Natural Resources Wales have enabled this project to move forward to apply for subsidy support from the UK Government.
“I urge the UK Government to do its part through the Contracts for Difference process to drive the industry forward by working with the Erebus team to secure the first floating offshore wind project in Welsh waters, bringing jobs and green energy to our communities.”
Mike Scott, Project Managing Director at Blue Gem Wind, added, “We welcome the decision from Welsh Ministers to grant the necessary planning consents for project Erebus and have been working with Planning and Environment Decisions Wales and other key stakeholders since 2019 to develop a project that is sympathetic to the natural environment and minimizes impacts to local communities and stakeholders. Erebus, which will be the first floating wind farm in Wales, will play a crucial role in advancing the deployment of what will become a globally important low carbon technology.”
Erebus, named after the famous ship built in 1826 in Pembroke Dock is due to be commissioned in 2026.