Ocean Winds Enters Lease Agreement With Crown Estate For 1.5 GW Celtic Sea Floating Wind Project
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Ocean Winds has entered into an agreement for lease with the Crown Estate for a 1.5 GW floating offshore wind project, for which the developer secured a site in the Round 5 seabed auction last year.
These two paragraphs add detail to the story.
Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5, the UK’s first dedicated floating wind seabed leasing round, was launched in February 2024, offering three areas. In June 2025, the Crown Estate announced Equinor and Gwynt Glas, a joint venture between EDF and ESB, as preferred developers for two project sites and said it was working to ensure the delivery of the full potential capacity of Round 5, which is up to 4.5 GW.
Equinor and Gwynt Glas entered into lease agreements for their floating wind projects in October 2025 and, the following month, the Crown Estate said Ocean Winds had secured the third floating offshore wind site in the Celtic Sea.
This map shows the three wind farms, that make up the Glynt Glas wind farm.
Note.
- It is expected to be built from and connect to the grid at Port Talbot in South Wales.
- The three sites are expected to be commissioned by the early-to-mid 2030s.
- The elongated white dot to the East of the wind farms would appear to be Lundy Island.
- The large bay to the North of Lundy is Carmarthen Bay with Caldey Island at its West end and Llanelli on its East.
- The Gower separates Swansea Bay from Carmarthen Bay.
This Google Map shows the Bristol Channel from the wind farms in the West to Cardiff and Hinkley Point.
Note.
- Along the North coast of the Bristol Channel, working from West to East, my 78-year-old eyes can pick out Milford Haven, Pembroke, Caldey Island, Tenby, Llanelli, Swansea, Port Talbot, Porthcawl, BridgendCaerphilly, Cardiff and Newport.
- Coming back along the South Coast, I can see Weston-super-Mare, Hinkley Point C and the tip of Lundy Island in line with Tenby.
- The three sections of Glynt Glas will each generate 1.5 GW, making a total of 4.5 GW.
- Hinkley Point C when completed, will be a 3.26 GW nuclear power station.
- There is also a 2.2 GW gas-fired power station at Pembroke.
Nearly 8 GW of renewable electricity should be enough to convert Port Talbot steelworks to the manufacture of green steel.
How Much Wind Power Is Planned For The Western Approaches?
I asked Google AI, the title of this section and received this answer.
The UK has a target of 50 GW of offshore wind by 2030, with significant projects planned for the Celtic Sea (part of the Western Approaches), which is a key area for 5 GW of floating wind. Total UK offshore wind pipeline capacity exceeds 93 GW, with major developments in this region focusing on floating technology.
Key details regarding wind power in the Western Approaches (specifically the Celtic Sea) include:
Celtic Sea Developments: The area is a primary focus for floating wind projects, designed to capitalize on deep-water potential, with 5 GW of floating wind expected to be deployed across the UK by 2030.
Pipeline and Capacity: The total UK pipeline for offshore wind, which includes the Western Approaches, is 93 GW, and the government is aiming for 43-50 GW of installed offshore capacity by 2030.
Project Status: The region is expected to benefit from the Crown Estate’s leasing rounds aimed at accelerating floating wind, with 15.4 GW of new projects submitted across the UK in 2024.
Wales/South West England Context: Wales has 1.4 GW of projects in the pre-application stage, with some potential for developments off the South West coast.
For more detailed information on specific projects and their development status, you can visit the RenewableUK website and RenewableUK website.
It looks like about 20 GW of offshore wind could be installed in the Western Approaches.
Innovative Composite Masts Look To Reduce Cost And Increase Efficiency Of Rail Electrification
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on New Civil Engineer.
This is the sub-title.
Engineering consultancy Furrer+Frey will this week unveil its innovative composite masts for rail electrification, which could revolutionise the way that rail electrification is undertaken.
Other points from the article include.
- Development has been undertaken with Cranfield, Southampton and Newcastle Universities and Prodrive and TruckTrain.
- The project was part funded by the Department for Transport and Innovate UK through the First Of A Kind competition.
- The first composite masts have been created and tested at St Bride’s feeder station, just outside Newport in Wales.
This Google Map shows the area, where the test will take place.
Note.
- The South Wales Main Line crossing the South-East corner of the map.
- Newport station is to the East and Cardiff station is to the West.
- The St. Brides feeder station alongside the railway, by the Green Lane bridge.
I would assume that the connection to the National Grid is via the St. Brides 25 kV Substation in the North-West corner of the map.
The article lists the features of the design.
- A typical steel mast weighs 750 Kg., whereas a composite mast weight just 80 Kg.
- I suspect that these masts can be lifted around by a couple of average workers.
- They have lower wind resistance.
- Piles can be less deep. The prototype piles are 1.25 m., as against many that are over four metres on recent schemes.
- The piles have sensors to detect, when they are out of kilter and need replacing.
- Currently, wonky masts need to be identified by hands-on measurement or observant drivers.
- Two masts have been tested to destruction, to see if they match the theory.
But this to me as an Electrical Engineer is the clincher.
Furrer+Frey GB head of UK projects Noel Dolphin says this about the new design.
When they do take it to a mass manufacturing stage, it will be without carbon fibre inside, which presents another opportunity. The other ultimate goal is that the structure is insulating in itself. It’s another big saving if you can remove the insulators on the electrification cantilevers, as they’re expensive in themselves.
It’s all going the way of much more affordable electrification.
I have a few further thoughts.
The Involvement Of Prodrive
Prodrive are best known for their involvement in motorsport, as the home page of their web site indicates.
But as their site also indicates they get involved in other forms of high-performance disruptive engineering, where their experience is relevant.
Prodrive build the prototypes, but won’t build the production masts, although I suspect, their expertise will be used.
The TruckTrain
TruckTrain is a concept with roots in Coventry University that could be off-beam enough to be the new normal.
I have updated my thoughts on the TruckTrain and it is now in a post called The TruckTrain.
My Conclusion About TruckTrains
I like the concept and I can’t see why it would not be successful worldwide.
The Involvement Of TruckTrain With Furrer+Frey
This puzzled me for a time, as undoubtedly, the TruckTrain will be able to use standard electrification.
But in the TruckTrain leaflet, they mention that the TruckTrain has been designed to use single-track short-terminals.
So did they approach Furrer+Frey to find out about electrifying short terminals and the Swiss company felt TruckTrain was a concept they could support?
Obviously, if the TruckTrain is developed to be a battery-electric train, some mini freight terminals will need the ability to charge the TruckTrain.
Could A TruckTrain Be Used to Support Electrification?
Would a TruckTrain be the ideal support vehicle to erect or repair electrification?
If you take the problem, when the wires have been damaged, a TruckTrain could get to the site at 100 mph, much faster than a truck on the road. It could also have a platform to lift the engineers for inspection and repair.
A TruckTrain could be more than just a transport system.
Conclusion
Furrer + Frey’s lightweight composite electrification masts are a good idea.
Teamed with TruckTrains, they could prove a very powerful freight concept, where new mini freight terminals are needed.
If This Is The End For The £1.3bn M4 Relief Road, Radical Thinking Is Needed
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Wales Online.
The article is a good analysis of one of South Wales’ major transport problems; How do you relieve capacity on the ageing M4 around Newport?
I haven’t been on that section of road for perhaps twenty years or even longer, but I can’t ever remember the road, not being full of traffic.
Abolition Of Tolls Not The Smartest Move
This is a subsection of the article about the abolition of tolls on the Severn Crossing, where this is one sentence.
The abolitions of tolls, as predicted, have already driven a 20% rise in traffic levels on the existing M4, which will only put more pressure on its resilience.
Any sensible person could have told you that.
Surely, the extra capacity should have at least been planned before the tolls were abolished.
But then politicians like buying votes with unsustainable decisions that benefit their electorate.
As another example, look at the problems, Sadiq Khan’s fare freeze has caused Transport for London. But then you can’t expect a lawyer and politician to get their sums right. My late wife was a lawyer and many of our friends in Suffolk were in the same profession. Few had any clue about handling numbers properly.
The Anonymous Widower 