The Crown Estate has officially launched the 4.5GW Round 5 Celtic Sea lease auction with the publication of a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire.
The PQQ will be followed by a two-stage formal Invitation to Tender before preferred bidders for three 1.5GW plots off south Wales and south-west England are announced in March 2025.
The UK’s first commercial-scale floaters are expected to hit the water by the mid-2030s.
The Crown Estate’s marine MD Gus Jaspert said: “This marks an important step towards a new market for floating offshore wind in the UK.
“We’re really excited about establishing the new technology in the Celtic Sea, and the jobs and economic opportunities it will create onshore through the development of a new supply chain.
“This is a new chapter for the UK’s world-leading offshore wind industry, and we look forward to playing our part as we move through the leasing process and beyond to build on this success.”