The Anonymous Widower

The Celtic Cluster Launches New Regional Strategy To Maximise Offshore Wind Benefits

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

The Celtic Sea Cluster has released a new Regional Strategy that outlines how Wales and South West England can maximise floating offshore wind technology benefits, in line with the forthcoming Celtic Sea leasing process being delivered by the Crown Estate.

Who comprise the Celtic Cluster? This paragraph gives the answer.

According to the Cluster, which is led by its founding partners, the Welsh Government, Cornwall, Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, Celtic Sea Power, Marine Energy Wales, and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, the strategy will allow the region’s stakeholders to ensure their activities are aligned and can achieve their common objectives.

I am surprised the Irish aren’t involved politically.

• The Irish Republic has a coastline on the Celtic Sea.
• There are a lot of Irish companies, finance and engineers involved in wind farm development.

But the cluster does have a firm ambition, according to the article.

The Cluster’s ambition is to establish the Celtic Sea region as a world leader in floating offshore wind by 2030 and to deliver 4 GW of floating wind in the Celtic Sea by 2035, with the potential to grow to 20 GW by 2045.

Note.

1. The Wikipedia entry for the Celtic Sea, gives the sea an area of 300,000 km².
2. 20 GW or 20,000 MW is to be installed by 2045.

That is an energy density of just 0.067 MW/km².

In ScotWind Offshore Wind Leasing Delivers Major Boost To Scotland’s Net Zero Aspirations, I calculated that ten floating wind farms had an average energy density of about 3.5 MW per km².

I wouldn’t bet against a few more floating wind turbines being squeezed into the Celtic Sea.

November 25, 2022 - Posted by AnonW | Energy | Celtic Cluster, Celtic Sea, Cornwall, Floating Wind Power, Offshore Wind Power, Scilly Isles, Wales, Wind Power