Crown Estate Names Developers for New Floating Wind Projects in the Celtic Sea

The Crown Estate has officially awarded seabed rights to two major players, Equinor and the Gwynt Glas joint venture between EDF Renewables UK and Irish utility ESB, to develop two large-scale floating wind farms in the Celtic Sea. Each of the projects is set to deliver 1.5 gigawatts of capacity, marking a significant leap forward for floating offshore wind in the UK.

These awards come after Round 5 of the UK’s offshore wind leasing programme. Unlike previous rounds, this one was unique: it was the first aimed squarely at commercial-scale floating wind. That distinction matters. Floating wind technology can tap deeper waters, opening access to vast areas like the Celtic Sea that fixed-bottom turbines can’t reach.

As part of the agreement, each developer will pay an annual option fee of £350 per megawatt for each project, which adds up to £525,000 every year, just for the rights to develop.

There’s more in the pipeline, too. A third lease area, also 1.5GW, remains in reserve for now. The Crown Estate has said further details on this site will be announced by September. If all three sites are fully developed, the resulting 4.5GW of capacity could generate enough power for more than four million homes.

Energy secretary Ed Miliband hailed the outcome as “transformative for economic growth in Wales and the South West,” adding: “The Celtic Sea has huge untapped potential to support our mission to become a clean energy superpower, so we can get energy bills down for good through our Plan for Change.”

For Equinor, a long-time champion of floating wind, the win signals both strategic opportunity and a reaffirmation of its UK ambitions. Trine Borum Bojsen, senior vice president for renewables in Europe, described the lease as offering both “scalability and timing flexibility” in line with the company’s long-term vision.

Gwynt Glas, a 50-50 joint venture between EDF and ESB, secured the second lease. EDF Renewables UK CEO Matthieu Hue said the win reinforces the UK's global leadership in floating wind and highlights the technology's central role in the journey to net zero. Jim Dollard, ESB’s executive director, called the Celtic Sea a “strategic priority” for the utility, offering the chance to scale its floating wind efforts on both sides of the Irish Sea.

But this is about more than power. As part of their winning bids, both developers made explicit commitments to deliver economic and social value alongside clean energy. The ports of Port Talbot and Bristol are expected to serve as key assembly hubs. Meanwhile, workforce plans will require that 3.5 per cent of employees are apprentices and at least 10 per cent of workers aged 19 to 24 come from NEET backgrounds—not in employment, education, or training.

These developments are the result of extensive groundwork laid by The Crown Estate. Over the past year, it conducted environmental assessments and stakeholder engagement sessions. It secured a grid connection agreement with the National Energy System Operator (NESO). Crown Estate chief executive Dan Labbad said the outcome shows just how far the UK has come in the 25 years since offshore wind was first introduced.

Formal lease agreements are expected later this year. Once signed, Equinor and Gwynt Glas will move into the full development and consenting phase. If all goes smoothly, both projects could be generating electricity before the decade is out.

The UK’s broader goal? Delivering up to 10 gigawatts of floating wind from the Celtic Sea by 2030. In the global race to scale up clean energy infrastructure, the success of Round 5 sends a strong message: the UK remains a frontrunner for climate investment, innovation, and green industrial growth.