Offshore wind developers Flotation Energy and Cobra’s Celtic Sea floating offshore wind project, White Cross, was recently granted full onshore and offshore planning approval.
The White Cross Offshore Windfarm project applied to North Devon Council and the Marine Management Organization (MMO) in 2023 to construct and operate a 100-MW floating offshore wind farm and for works to connect the wind farm to the grid.
The proposed wind farm, 52 kilometers off the Devon coast, will consist of six to eight state-of-the-art floating wind turbines and, when operational, will generate enough clean electricity to power about 135,000 households.
North Devon Council’s Planning Committee granted consent in May for the onshore elements of the project. The Marine Management Organization issued a Marine License under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 to enable the offshore elements of the project in accordance with the South West Marine Plan.
“This is an important moment for the White Cross offshore wind farm, and for floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea. We are grateful to the North Devon Council and the Marine Management Organization, and to everyone who has engaged with the project. In response to feedback, we have adapted our plans to minimize environmental and social impacts,” said Sam Park, White Cross senior project manager. “The U.K. is already a leader in floating offshore wind technology, but until now this has only been via projects in Scottish waters. This decision gives us a valuable opportunity to harness this pioneering technology to help deliver the energy transition in the southwest of England. By doing so, we will seek to spark the development of a specialized local supply chain, creating jobs whilst providing 135,000 homes with renewable energy.”
White Cross is a stepping stone project that is pivotal to the Crown estate’s ambitions to scale up and commercialize floating energy technologies in the Celtic Sea.
The project supports the U.K. government’s target for offshore wind, alongside wider decarbonization and energy security targets.
More info www.flotationenergy.com | whitecrossoffshorewind.com
