Burges Salmon law firm is advising a new joint venture on its planning application to build the first floating offshore wind project in the Celtic Sea off the coast of Wales, UK.
Blue Gem Wind, a partnership between TotalEnergies and Simply Blue Group, has applied to Welsh Ministers under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 for consent to build and operate the 100MW Erebus windfarm, alongside a separate application to Natural Resources Wales for a marine licence under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009.
“It has been a pleasure to assist Blue Gem Wind on what we hope will be the first of many such projects in the Celtic Sea and more widely,” said Ross Fairley, head of renewables at Burges Salmon.
Independent studies have suggested there could be as much as 50GW of electricity capacity available in the Celtic Sea waters of the UK and Ireland. This renewable energy resource could play a key role in the UK meeting the 2050 Net-Zero target required to mitigate climate change.
Erebus will provide new low carbon supply chain opportunities, support coastal communities and create long-term benefits for the region.
“Sincere thanks to the Burges Salmon team – a pleasure to work with on this application,” said Mike Scott, project managing director at Blue Gem. “This represents a significant milestone for project Erebus and kick-starts the stepping-stone approach to floating wind in the Celtic Sea.”
