- Natural Resources Wales has issued a marine licence for the Llŷr Floating Offshore Wind Farm, a demonstration‑scale project located 35 km off the Pembrokeshire coast.
- The project will comprise up to ten floating turbines, each up to 300 m tall, connected via two 50 km export cables to landfall at Freshwater West.
- The licence is valid until 2060 and requires detailed environmental plans, consultation with fisheries and maritime authorities, and mitigation measures for marine mammals.
Wales has taken a significant step toward tapping the vast wind resources of the Celtic Sea by granting a marine licence for the Llŷr Floating Offshore Wind Farm, one of the UK’s first demonstration‑scale floating projects.
Natural Resources Wales (NRW), acting as the marine licensing authority on behalf of Welsh ministers, approved the licence late last week. The project, backed by Llŷr Floating Wind Limited, will install up to ten turbines about 35 km offshore, each towering up to 300 m above sea level and mounted on floating platforms.
The turbines will be tethered to the seabed with mooring lines and anchors, and electricity will be transmitted ashore via two subsea export cables roughly 50 km long.
The licence covers construction, operation and decommissioning of the test site, which will occupy an array roughly 45 sq. km in area with water depths between 65 m and 75 m. Each turbine will be secured by up to eight mooring lines, meaning up to 80 anchors across the site. A network of inter‑array cables will link the turbines to the export lines.
The permit lasts until 2060, giving developers time to refine the technology and gather environmental data. However, before any offshore work begins, the licence requires the developer to submit detailed ecological, archaeological and construction management plans, including marine mammal mitigation, fisheries liaison, navigation monitoring and pollution contingency measures.
Ongoing consultation with fishing organisations, the Ministry of Defence, the Coastguard and other maritime bodies is mandatory.
NRW officials stress that the project sits at the intersection of climate action and environmental stewardship. Ruth Jenkins, head of planning and marine operations, said the regulator has a “unique opportunity” to tackle the climate emergency by using licensing powers to support clean‑energy projects while ensuring they respect the environment and local communities.
She added that Wales has “enormous potential as a leader in renewable energy” and that innovation in floating wind can help realise net‑zero targets.
The demonstration project forms part of broader plans to develop floating wind in the Celtic Sea, a region whose deeper waters are unsuitable for conventional fixed‑bottom turbines but offer consistent wind speeds. It will provide data on mooring systems, cable installation, environmental impacts and cost structures, all of which are critical for scaling up to commercial projects.
The licence signals momentum in floating wind that could reshape the offshore supply chain. Scotland’s Hywind and Kincardine projects have shown that floating turbines work, but costs remain high and local content is limited. By granting a permit with strict conditions, Wales is sending a message that it welcomes innovation but insists on environmental safeguards.
The project will help policymakers refine spatial planning, port infrastructure and grid connections for future leasing rounds. Developers eyeing the Celtic Sea will need to demonstrate community engagement and robust environmental plans. If successful, floating wind could unlock gigawatts of capacity in deeper waters, diversify the UK’s offshore portfolio and create jobs in port cities such as Milford Haven, Port Talbot and Aberdeen.
