EDF Renewables has struck a deal to expand its Irish offshore wind portfolio, adding a pair of floating wind projects to its list.
The subsidiary of French utility EDF has formed a 50:50 joint venture with local developer Simply Blue Group to develop the Western Star and Emerald floating offshore wind projects with a combined capacity of up to 2.65 GW.
The Western Star floating wind project will be located at least 35km off the west coast of Clare in waters over 100 m deep and have a total capacity of up to 1.35GW, while the Emerald floating wind project, to be located off the south coast of Cork, will have a total capacity of up to 1.3GW.
The partnership is subject to merger clearance expected in the coming months and is said to underline the confidence of the Irish Government’s commitment to generate 7 GW of electricity from offshore wind by 2030, of which 2 GW is targeted for floating wind.
In the UK and Ireland, EDF Renewables has over 2GW of assets in operation or under construction across offshore wind, onshore wind, solar and battery storage, as well as a development pipeline exceeding 10GW. In 2020 the company acquired 50% of Codling Wind Park, a major offshore wind farm that will be located off the coast of County Wicklow.