RWE has signed an agreement with the energy equipment and solutions provider Marine Power Systems (MPS) to study the feasibility of deploying up to 1GW of floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea.
The study will use local ports and supply chain, including ABP Port Talbot and Pembroke Dock for foundation assembly and turbine assembly.
In addition, the study will also determine what materials and components could be sourced from South Wales and the wider supply chain.
RWE said that its partnership with MPS will enable it to learn more about developing the foundation technology, and deploying it into the Celtic Sea.
RWE Celtic Sea project lead Philippa Powell said: “We are delighted to be working with Marine Power Systems to find solutions for maximising opportunities for the region’s supply chains, which will be so important for local and regional communities.
“At the same time, the study will test the future capability of our local ports to support the delivery of the multi-billion-pound opportunities that the Celtic Sea floating wind opportunity offers.
“MPS are reaching some exciting milestones in the testing of their floating devices and we also look forward to seeing the results from the testing facilities.”
Prior to the MPS study, RWE has already collaborated with the ports, and Tata Steel UK, to support its potential floating wind operations in Celtic Sea.
The company is preparing to take part in the Crown Estate’s Celtic Sea seabed leasing round, which is expected to take place in the next year.
The UK based energy equipment company MPS is developing an offshore wind platform solution, dubbed PelaFlex, intended for industrial-scale applications.
The solution will help increase local content by leveraging its existing supply chain capabilities and using a wide range of ports to support the deployment, said MPS.
Marine Power Systems CEO Gareth Stockman said: “We are delighted to be supporting RWE to help them understand exactly how our unique and flexible floating platform technology can be deployed in the Celtic Sea and how we can leverage the local supply chain to do that.
“We are looking forward to working with RWE and colleagues at ABP Port Talbot and Milford haven Port Authority as well as RWE supply chain partners such as TATA steel.”
In a separate development, RWE has submitted a bid for the up to 1.5GW site, located around 75kms off the coast of Ustka, Middle Pomerania region of northern Poland.
The bidding was part of the Poland’s competitive process for an offshore wind seabed permit within 53.E1 area in the Baltic Sea, under its offshore wind build-out programme.
RWE has developed a unique concept for this particular offshore area focusing on the efficient area co-usage, based on its expertise in offshore wind development.
