Johnny Gowdy, Regen’s director, responds to The Crown Estate’s publication of its plans for floating wind leasing in the Celtic Sea.
Responding to The Crown Estate’s publication of its plans for floating wind leasing in the Celtic Sea, Johnny Gowdy, Regen’s director, commented:
“With the ups and downs of COP26, it is an absolute pleasure to get the unqualified good news that the Crown Estate has set an ambition to develop 4 GW of floating wind in the Celtic Sea.
This is something that Regen and a lot of people in Wales and Southwest England, have been pushing for some time and it should be seen as a great confidence boost that The Crown Estate have decided to move directly to begin the process to develop commercial scale projects alongside the 300 MW pre-commercial projects that had already been announced.
The Crown Estate’s decision has obviously been influenced by the great interest that has been shown in the region by developers and investors; 4 GW, hopefully with the majority installed by 2030, is exactly the sort of scale that the Celtic sea needs.
Now the hard work really starts. Unlocking the massive potential of the Celtic Sea will require a coordinated and strategic approach, involving:
- very careful planning to ensure we protect the marine environment and other marine users;
- strategic investment and coordinated planning for grid infrastructure and offshore transmission;
- an innovative approach for construction and operations that will make best use of the region’s ports, alongside significant port investment;
- and an ambitious approach to skills and supply chain development to make sure we maximise the economic opportunity
So, lots to do, but for today, a really great announcement.”