BW Ideol and Associated British Ports (ABP) will investigate the feasibility of producing concrete substructures for floating turbine foundations at Port Talbot.
This agreement has been signed in preparation for the Celtic Sea leasing round announced by The Crown Estate offering a market of significant multi-GW development potential.
ABP is the owner and operator of the port at Port Talbot and 20 other ports around the UK. ABP has the ambition to invest over £500m to transform Port Talbot into a major Floating Offshore Wind (FLOW) hub.
“We can’t wait to start working with ABP at Port Talbot and we have no doubt that it will confirm that our patented concrete floating solution, which is the most compact and scalable solution on the market, is manufacturable at a large scale and will be able to equip future installation sites in the Celtic Sea while providing the highest level of local content.
“We have already demonstrated it in Scotland where we have developed fabrication methods able to provide floaters for the equivalent of 1GW per year,” said Paul de la Gueriviere, CEO of BW Ideol.
Andy Reay, ABP Head of Offshore Wind, said: “We are delighted to be working with BW Ideol to understand the technology needed to turn Port Talbot into a thriving FLOW energy hub.
“ABP is looking to invest in new and repurposed infrastructure in Port Talbot to enable the port to host manufacturing, installation and supply chain activity for the FLOW sector, and are currently exploring the option of constructing heavy lift quays to link onshore storage land to the marine environment and create a GW-scale opportunity.
“This has the potential to create 16,000 new, high-quality jobs and attract £5.5 billion inward investment in the wider regional economy. This agreement is an important step towards realising this ambition.”