Ocean Winds (OW), the 50-50 joint venture between EDPR and ENGIE, is set to be awarded rights for a floating offshore wind site in the Celtic Sea, off the coast of England and Wales, by The Crown Estate – marking a significant milestone in the UK’s journey toward commercial-scale floating offshore wind.
The site is one of three that was offered in Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5, with the other two sites previously awarded in June 2025. The third site went through a direct award process led by The Crown Estate, with Ocean Winds ultimately being successful.
The 358 km2 site will allow the development of a floating offshore wind project located in water depths of 71 – 88 metres. The project could be delivered in phases, with a final capacity of up to 1.5 GW installed. This project reinforces Ocean Winds’ commitment to maturing floating offshore wind on an industrial scale in the UK and globally.
Ocean Winds is a global leader in floating technology, having delivered the world’s first semi-submersible floating wind farm, WindFloat Atlantic, in Portugal in 2020, and more recently the EFGL floating demonstrator site in France which is in the late stages of construction. They have further commercial scale projects already under development in South Korea and France.
With a proven track record of delivery in the UK including Moray East and Moray West, which together make OW the largest offshore wind operator in Scotland, this new project positions Ocean Winds well to advance the UK’s floating offshore wind sector, and to continue creating high quality jobs and delivering long-term socio-economic value.
Craig Windram, CEO of Ocean Winds said: 'We are proud to be selected for the award of development rights for this strategic site. With over a decade of experience pioneering floating wind technology, and a proven ability to deliver fixed bottom projects at pace, we are confident in our capabilities to deliver this commercial scale floating project. The project will bring substantial benefits to the UK and play a vital role in the energy transition.'
Adam Morrison, UK Country Manager at Ocean Winds said: 'This selection offers us the opportunity to strengthen our position in the UK offshore wind market and builds on our delivery experience here, as well as internationally. We are excited to accelerate the development of commercial scale floating offshore wind and keep on delivering clean energy for the country to meet its energy security and Net Zero targets.'
Dan Labbad, Chief Executive of The Crown Estate, said: 'I’m incredibly proud that we have delivered on the commitment we made to secure a developer for the third site in the Celtic Sea, and we’re delighted that Ocean Winds will join other world-leading companies to invest in the UK and help establish this pioneering new technology for the long-term benefit of the country.'
Source: Offshore Winds
