Crown Estate to partner with Equinor and Gwynt Glas

The news follows a process to award rights to deliver up to 4.5 GW of secure, renewable energy – enough to power more than 4 million homes. The Crown Estate will ensure the delivery of the full potential capacity through the deployment of a third site. Work is underway on a range of options to deliver this, and The Crown Estate expects to set out next steps by the end of September 2025.

The new wind farms will be among the largest of their kind in the world, underlining the UK’s position as the leading market for floating offshore wind in Europe and expected to lead to the creation of thousands of new jobs and more than a billion-pound investment in the UK economy. This is expected to be the first phase of a new industry in the Celtic Sea, with The Crown Estate identifying the potential for a further 4 – 10 GW to be brought to market by the end of the decade.

Floating offshore wind is an exciting new technology which enables turbines to be located in deeper waters than is possible with fixed-base wind farms, unlocking new areas of seabed such as the Celtic Sea for the generation of secure, renewable energy.

The news follows details from The Crown Estate – which manages the seabed around England, Wales, and Northern Ireland – of a £400 million investment in the UK’s offshore wind supply chain, with a particular focus on enabling infrastructure.

A new chapter for UK offshore wind

The selection of Equinor and Gwynt Glas – a joint venture between EDF Renewables UK and ESB –as preferred bidders to deliver the new floating wind farms follows the conclusion of the latest leasing round by The Crown Estate, and is a significant vote of confidence in the UK’s world-leading offshore energy market at a time of global volatility and uncertainty for the sector.

The developers bring with them significant expertise and experience in the de-livery of offshore wind projects around the world, including new floating technology. Their selection will help build the UK’s capabilities in this emerging industry, which is set to play an important long-term role in delivering clean, secure energy.

Launched at the start of 2024, a core focus of Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5 has been to open up a new region of the UK for the generation of more secure, clean energy, while kick-starting the development of a new industry and supply chain around the Celtic Sea.

Research published in 2024 showed that Round 5 could support the creation of 5300 new jobs and deliver a £1.4 billion boost to the UK economy.

The auction marks the culmination of a significant programme of stakeholder engagement and steps taken by The Crown Estate to create an attractive opportunity for offshore wind developers. This includes establishing a new strategic approach with NESO to make the new wind farms the first to come to market with an agreed plan for connecting them to the UK’s energy grid.

Crown Estate details £400 million supply chain investment

In a further boost to the UK’s offshore wind industry, The Crown Estate has set out new details of its plans to invest up to £400 million of capital in the supply chain for projects across the country.

The move builds on new investment powers conferred by the Crown Estate Act 2025, and is expected to see The Crown Estate working in partnership to invest in the construction of port and supply chain infrastructure that will support the delivery of offshore wind projects across the UK.

New opportunities for apprenticeships and port development

The new floating wind farms are expected to unlock a range of new opportunities for skills, apprenticeships, and employment, as well as investment in new port infrastructure. The preferred bidders are committed to ensuring that at least 3.5% of the workforce consists of apprenticeships and that a minimum of 10% of employees aged 19 – 24 are not currently in education, employment, or training. As part of their submissions to The Crown Estate, the bidders also set out further plans for creating new onshore opportunities, with more details expected to be announced following the signing of Agreements for Lease in the autumn.

The Round 5 process also asked bidders to set out their plans for working with ports to support the final assembly of their projects, with specialist infrastructure needed to mount the turbines on floating platforms before being towed out to the final project sites. As part of their submissions, the preferred bidders have identified Port Talbot and Bristol ports as the likely locations for this activity.

Dan Labbad, Chief Executive of The Crown Estate, said: “It’s now 25 years since we first laid the foundations for a new market for offshore wind in the UK, creating the right conditions for a new technology to establish and grow into the world-leading industry we have today.

“The selection of EDF Renewables UK, ESB and Equinor to write the next chapter of this story in the Celtic Sea is an exciting reflection of how far we’ve come in that time, and a vote of confidence in this new technology and the long-term future of the UK market as a place to invest.

“The Crown Estate exists to create value for our country into the long term. Coupled with our investment of up to £400 million in the supply chain, the steps we have taken to establish floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea mark a vital contribution to the UK’s energy resilience and growth, and countless opportunities for communities and businesses alike.”

Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, added: “Floating offshore wind will be trans-formative for economic growth in Wales and the South West, unlocking thousands of jobs in places like Port Talbot and Bristol, bolstering our energy security and delivering industrial renewal.

"The Celtic Sea has huge untapped potential to support our mission to become clean energy superpower, so we can get energy bills down for good through our Plan for Change.”

Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens, commented: “This is a hugely significant moment for the clean energy industry in Wales and one which will have a positive impact for generations to come.

“Floating offshore wind will help deliver the transition to clean energy, bring down bills for households and help secure the UK’s home-grown energy supply.

“Increased economic growth and thousands of new well-paid jobs will come from this huge vote of confidence in Wales’ energy industry and its workforce.”

Trine Borum Bojsen, Senior Vice President for Renewables Europe of Equinor, stated: “We are delighted to be given this opportunity in the Celtic Sea. The UK is a core strategic market for Equinor and a market where we have more than a decade’s experience in offshore wind. The seabed lease offers the scalability and timing flexibility we seek and is a long-term option for Equinor’s renewables portfolio. We believe that the deeper waters in the Celtic Sea have good future potential for floating wind which will play an important role in unlocking the UK’s journey towards net zero.”

Richard Ballantyne, Chief Executive of British Ports Association, concluded: “UK ports play a vital role in the UK’s offshore wind industry, supporting the deployment and operation of wind farms that have become a mainstay of our energy transition.

“Floating offshore wind opens up an exciting new frontier, with new opportunities to invest in the vital facilities that will be needed to support this emerging sector, with new jobs and opportunities through the supply chain along the way.

“It’s great to see experienced developers taking forward these projects in the Celtic Sea, and we look forward to working with them and The Crown Estate to ensure the region’s ports are ready to play their part.”

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