Jonathan Cole: “We believe the Celtic Sea can accommodate significant new offshore wind capacity” (source: Corio)
Offshore wind developer Corio Generation has teamed up with Morwind, a specialist developer based in the southwest of England, to compete for floating wind rights in the Celtic Sea
The Celtic Sea is a large maritime area off southwest England and Wales that has been identified by seabed owner the Crown Estate as a major potential source of offshore wind energy.
The partnership will combine Corio’s international industrial expertise and access to capital with Morwind’s specialist regional knowledge and strong local stakeholder relationships.
Corio Generation chief executive Jonathan Cole said, “We believe the Celtic Sea can accommodate significant new offshore wind capacity and are looking closely at opportunities in partnership with regional experts Morwind.
“Bringing floating wind power technology to the UK’s southwest can ensure the region is at the leading edge of the green industrial revolution.”
The partnership announcement between Corio and Morwind comes as the UK Government is looking to offshore wind as a major source of secure and affordable, low-carbon electricity. The British Energy Security Strategy announced by the UK government in April 2022 increased the national offshore wind target to 50 GW by 2030, including 5 GW for floating projects.
In November 2021, the Crown Estate published initial proposals for floating wind seabed leasing, with projects in English and Welsh waters expected to be delivered during the early 2030s. Rights could be agreed with developers as early as 2023.
Morwind managing director Ben Gowers said, “Morwind is excited by the scale of the opportunity off Devon, Cornwall and Wales and is committed to working and collaborating with local, regional and national partners.
“We want to drive industrial scale investment and ambition, engaging the local supply chain, stakeholders and communities, to add value through innovation, efficiency and social impact. We foresee new ways of doing business and look forward to sharing our vision, projects and plans in the coming months.”
