Posted on June 25, 2025
This offshore wind news compilation highlights project updates offshore Scotland, Wales, England and France.
Muir Mhòr Offshore Wind Farm has received approval for its consent application from Aberdeenshire Council in eastern Scotland.
So, planning permission has now been granted in principle for the onshore infrastructure, including underground cabling and a substation.
A separate offshore consent application covering the wind farm, submitted at the end of last year, is under review at present by the Scottish government.
Assuming approval is granted, the floating offshore wind project could generate first power in the 2030s, peaking at 1 GW.
Muir Mhòr is a 50:50 joint venture between Fred. Olsen Seawind and Vattenfall. The wind farm will be located 63 km offshore Peterhead in the central UK North Sea.
Two new floating wind projects in Celtic Sea
In a potentially more extensive floating offshore wind development, Britain’s The Crown Estate has agreed to team up with Equinor and Gwynt Glas—a joint venture between EDF Renewables UK and ESB—to help create new jobs and economic growth through two new 1.5-GW floating wind farms off the coasts of Wales and South West England in the Celtic era.
It follows a process to award rights to deliver up to 4.5 GW of renewable energy, with Equinor and Gwynt Glas selected as preferred bidders.
Crown Estate also announced a £400 million ($535.5 million) investment in the UK’s offshore wind supply chain, with a special focus on enabling infrastructure.
It follows new investment powers awarded last year, and it should lead to The Crown Estate working in partnership to invest in construction of new port and supply chain infrastructure to support delivery of offshore wind projects throughout UK waters.
Both Equinor and Gwynt Glas committed to ensuring that at least 3.5% of the workforce supporting their projects would comprise apprenticeships with a minimum of 10% of employees aged 19-24 not at present in education, employment or training.
In their submissions, they also included further plans for creating new onshore opportunities. Further details should follow the signing of agreements for lease during the fall.
The Round 5 bidding process had requested applicants to provide plans for working with ports to support the final assembly of their projects, including the specialist infrastructure needed to mount the turbines on floating platforms prior to their tow-out to the final offshore project sites.
The two preferred bidders both identified Port Talbot in south Wales and the port of Bristol, western England, as the likely locations for this activity.
All inter-array cables installed at wind farm offshore France
The final inter-array cable has been installed at Îles d’Yeu and Noirmoutier (EMYN) offshore wind farm in France, being developed by Les Éoliennes en Mer Services.
The 61st and final inter-array cable was installed on June 22 at the EMYN offshore wind farm, Louis Dreyfus TravOcean announced on its LinkedIn yesterday.
The accomplishment paves the way for a transmission capacity of 512 MW.
Geoquip Marine’s Geoquip Elena vessel, converted into a cable-laying vessel with a bespoke project-specific deck layout used in the operation, will be demobilized in early July from the Dunkirk offshore base, according to Louis Dreyfus TravOcean.
In addition, the termination and testing activities performed by Prysmian from Island Offshore’s Island Diligence service operation vessel are on track to conclude in July.
With 61 wind turbines, each rated at 8 MW, the EMYN offshore wind farm will have a total installed capacity of 488 MW, generating 1,900 GWh per year, which is equivalent to the electricity consumption of 800,000 people.
The wind farm is expected to be fully commissioned by the end of 2025.
