Located off the coast of Wales, this site represents electricity production for 400,000 homes. The new offshore wind farm will be located to the west of the existing one, on 106 km2 of seabed. It will be called Awel Y Môr offshore Wind Farm. A fitting name for this deepwater project.
A company backed by German energy companies
To help build this project, the company has enlisted new partners. While owning 60% of the fleet, RWE UK was joined by two German companies. The municipal company Stadt Werke München will have a 30% stake, and the financing arm of Siemens will hold the remaining 10%.
An offshore wind farm in its infancy
However, according to Renewables Now, the work is still in its early stages. The size and capacity of the project are yet to be determined, as project manager Tamsyn Rowe told the website:
“Over the next few months, we will begin development and planning activities as far as possible and in line with government guidelines.”
Offshore wind farm backed by the crown
Back in 2017 the UK government had supported and invited UK offshore wind farm operators to set up extension projects. In 2019, London’s leaders are proposing 7 wind power projects to create 2.85 GW of new energy capacity.
Three offshore wind farms under construction
To meet this demand, RWE and its partners presented three projects which were accepted:
- Galloper,
- Greater,
- Awel y Môr.
Although the company is a shareholder in all three sites, it runs only the last two on its own. Great Gabbard is, in fact, a joint development between RWE and SSE.
SSE Renewables was involved in the creation of the Seagreen 1 wind farm off the coast of Scotland. It had a capacity of 1,140 MW. In 2020, Total invested 78 million euros in the project. Both the UK region and its government are in favor of wind power development.
Lease signed between Crown Estate and RWE
The Crown Estate therefore agreed in 2020 to grant a lease to build an offshore wind farm extension to RWE. This public body is responsible for managing the land and sea areas of England, Northern Ireland and Wales. This initiative is a perfect illustration of British policy’s move towards greener production. All the while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The site covers a distance of around 106 square kilometers off the coast of Wales.
Offshore wind farm a major success for Wales
According to Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford, this initiative is important for the country’s economy. He told Riviera that the project would “create more jobs locally and in the supply chain. Indeed, the Chair of the North Wales Economic Ambition Board, Dyfrig Siencyn, believes that the energy sector is a pillar of the Welsh economy.
200 local jobs in the area
Awel y Mô project manager Tamsyn Rowe added that the Gwyt y Môt site was worth £2.0 billion, or US$2.5 billion. Other wind farms in the Welsh Sea include Rhyl Flats and North Hoyle, the region’s first large-scale offshore wind farm.
Greener energy production
This project is also important to “support the UK’s goal of reducing greenhouse gases to net zero” according to Tamsyn Rowe in Insider Media Limited. For Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford:
“This announcement brings the project one step closer to developing and realizing the site’s energy production potential.”
The chairman of the North Wales Economic Ambition Board backed up these comments, calling the region “the leading site for low-carbon energy production”.
The Welsh coast is therefore currently showing growing potential for wind power development. A prime location for cleaner, greener energy production.
