Major milestone reached as examination concludes for Awel y Môr offshore wind farm

Tamsyn Rowe, Project Manager

Examination closes for Awel y Môr offshore wind farm after more than 23 hours of hearings with over 1,000 documents filed
• Final decision from UK Secretary of State expected in six months’ time
• If approved, the RWE-led development is expected to make a major contribution to Wales’ renewable energy target for 2030

What could be Wales’ biggest investment in renewable energy this decade has reached a major milestone with the conclusion of the examination of its application for a development consent order.

Awel y Môr Offshore wind farm, the development of which is being led by Wales’ largest renewable energy generator RWE, is planned for construction off the coast of north Wales.

The UK Planning Inspectorate will now prepare its report, with the process requiring a decision from the Secretary of State for Energy Security within a six month timeframe.

If constructed, the wind farm will consist of a maximum of 50 turbines up to 332m high to the tip of the rotor, and be capable of generating power equivalent to the consumption of half a million homes.

Tamsyn Rowe, project lead, said: “After putting such effort into the examination, reaching this point in development is a real achievement for the team.

“We will now await the decision on the development consent order from the UK Secretary of State.

“As a project of such significant scale, Awel y Môr has the potential to make a major contribution to Welsh Government’s target of generating renewable electricity equivalent to 70 per cent of Wales’ consumption by 2030.

“Awel y Môr also has the potential to provide a real economic boost to the region, both during its construction but also in operation, as shown by previous wind farms, which already support hundreds of jobs.”

If approved, the project team plans to hit the ground running with work already underway to help develop supply chain capability across north Wales. A new supplier engagement platform has been developed and supplier events will be held in the coming months.

RWE is developing Awel y Môr with project partners Stadtwerke München (30%) and Siemens Financial Services (10%). RWE is #2 in the world for offshore wind and is driving the development of the largest offshore wind pipeline in the UK.

It has committed to investing €50 billion gross through to 2030 to expand its powerful and green generation capacity to 50 gigawatts, with around €15 billion earmarked for the UK.

Elsewhere in north Wales, RWE is developing onshore wind farms at Gaerwen and Alwen. The company also has ambitions for floating wind in the Celtic Sea.