Offshore floating wind farms to power millions of homes, minister says
New floating windfarms, set to be among the biggest in the world, will create thousands of jobs and power millions of homes, a minister has said.
Turbines up to 300m tall will sit on platforms floating off the coast of Wales, powering some four million homes under plans revealed on Thursday.
The project, which is jointly run by the Crown Estate, Equinor and Gwynt Glas, is expected to be completed by the mid-2030s, with several wind farms to be constructed.
The turbines are expected to be assembled in Bristol and Port Talbot, from where they will be towed out to the final project sites.
Jo Stevens, the Secretary of State for Wales, said the announcement was 'great news' for the country, and could create some 5,300 new jobs.
Speaking to the PA news agency on a visit to Port Talbot, she said: 'These are going to be the biggest offshore floating wind farms in the world, and they're going to be off the coast of Wales.
'It is going to create thousands of jobs, power four million homes and bring down energy bills.
'This is really, really good news for Wales, and especially for young people and people wanting apprenticeships, because there are guarantees within the process that there will be specific apprenticeships and jobs for young people.'
The minister's visit also follows the announcement of funding for the redevelopment of the port in Port Talbot as part of the spending review last week.
The Crown Estate – which manages the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland – is making a £400 million investment in the UK's offshore wind supply chain.
While profits from the Crown Estate go to the Treasury, it is owned by the monarch and run independently.
The Crown Estate owns the seabed out to 12 nautical miles and around 65% of the Welsh foreshore and riverbed.
Management of Crown Estate assets has been a controversial issue in Wales, with Welsh Labour calling for management to be devolved as it has in Scotland.
Labour in Westminster has refused to allow the Welsh Government to take control.
Ms Stevens said Thursday's announcement 'vindicated' the UK Government's position.
She said: 'Today's announcement is a real vote of confidence in floating offshore wind as a new technology and industry.
'This will be the biggest floating off in the world.
'In order to deliver that and deliver those thousands of jobs and the billions of pounds of investment, you have to have certainty, and investors need to know that the situation is certain.'
Asked if Scotland would not be able to get a similar scheme, she said it would 'put it at risk.'
'There is a significant risk, if you bring uncertainty into the process, that developers and investors will go elsewhere.'
She insisted it was not a question of whether the Welsh Government could be trusted with the Crown Estate.
Llinos Medi, Plaid Cymru's energy spokesperson in Westminster, pushed back against Ms Stevens, arguing Scotland is developing 19 offshore wind projects under the devolved Scottish Crown Estate.
'Until we devolve the Crown Estate, the process of extracting wealth from Wales's natural resources will continue,' Ms Medi said.
'The Labour First Minister of Wales made a big pitch that she would not let Westminster 'take our wind'.
'It's clear that those efforts have not been effective, as the fees and profits from this announcement will be given to the Treasury in Whitehall rather than being retained for the Welsh public purse for the benefit of our communities.'
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said floating offshore wind will be 'transformative' for economic growth in Wales and the south west of England.
He said: 'The Celtic Sea has huge untapped potential to support our mission to become a clean energy superpower, so we can get energy bills down for good.'
Speaking to PA, Eluned Morgan, the First Minister of Wales, said it was a 'really significant announcement', branding it the birth of a new global industry.
'This is a brand new approach to energy, it's cutting-edge technology,' she said.
'People are going to have to work out how effective this is, how do you do it properly.
'I have been speaking to a lot of these energy companies and a lot of supply chains to say 'base yourself in Wales'.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
MPs switch sides to vote no to ‘drastically weakened' assisted dying Bill
Four MPs have confirmed they are switching their vote on the assisted dying Bill from yes to no, branding it 'drastically weakened'. Labour's Paul Foster, Jonathan Hinder, Markus Campbell-Savours and Kanishka Narayan wrote to fellow MPs to voice concerns about the safety of the proposed legislation. The letter comes on the eve of a crucial vote on Friday which would see the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill either clear the House of Commons and move to the Lords, or fall completely. The MPs wrote: 'The Bill presented to MPs in November has been fundamentally changed. 'This is not the safest Bill in the world. It is weaker than the one first laid in front of MPs and has been drastically weakened. 'MPs were promised the ultimate protection from a High Court Judge but that protection is missing from the final Bill.' They said colleagues with 'any doubts about the safety of this Bill' should 'join us tomorrow and vote against it'. As it stands, the proposed legislation would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist. While the MPs cited the replacement of a High Court safeguard with the expert panels, Bill sponsor Kim Leadbeater has insisted the change is a strengthening of the legislation, incorporating wider expert knowledge to assess assisted dying applications. But concerns around the panels have also been raised by the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych), which announced in recent weeks that it has 'serious concerns' and cannot support the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in its current form. The college's lead on assisted dying for England and Wales, Dr Annabel Price, expressed worry there will not be 'enough space or time to carry out proper, holistic assessments', and that the only involvement on a panel being to check decisions made by others 'is deeply troubling'. The relatively narrow majority of 55 from the historic yes vote in November means every vote will count on Friday. While acknowledging there could be some change in the numbers, Bill sponsor Kim Leadbeater has insisted she remains confident it will pass the third reading stage and move on to be considered by peers in the Lords. Speaking on Thursday, she said: 'There might be some small movement in the middle, some people might maybe change their mind one way, others will change their mind the other way but fundamentally I don't anticipate that that majority would be heavily eroded so I do feel confident we can get through tomorrow successfully.' Ms Leadbeater has insisted her Bill is 'the most robust piece of legislation in the world' and has argued dying people must be given choice at the end of their lives in a conversation which has seen support from high-profile figures including Dame Esther Rantzen. Making her case for a change in the law, she said: 'I know that many colleagues have engaged very closely with the legislation and will make their decision based on those facts and that evidence, and that cannot be disputed. 'But we need to do something, and we need to do it quickly.' A YouGov poll of 2,003 adults in Great Britain, surveyed last month and published on Thursday, suggested public support for the Bill remains high at 73% – unchanged from November. The proportion of people who feel assisted dying should be legal in principle has risen slightly, to 75% from 73% in November. MPs are entitled to have a free vote on the Bill, meaning they decide according to their conscience rather than along party lines. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has indicated he will continue to back the Bill, as he did last year, saying earlier this week that his 'position is long-standing and well-known' on assisted dying. Health Secretary Wes Streeting, while describing Ms Leadbeater's work on the proposed legislation as 'extremely helpful', confirmed in April that he still intended to vote against it. Ms Leadbeater has warned it could be a decade before assisted dying legislation returns to Parliament if MPs vote to reject her Bill on Friday.
Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
Christian group threatens Westminster Council over 'indoctrinating' pride flags
A London council has been threatened with legal action after hanging trans-inclusive Pride flags around Regent Street from this weekend. Group Christian Concern says Westminster Council is 'indoctrinating' visitors to the famous West End location and breaching planning control. The Crown Estate, which owns most of the property on Regent Street, lodged plans in March to hoist hundreds of flags in 20 locations between mid-June and mid-July to support Pride events. But after being permitted by Westminster Council in mid-May, Christian Concern says the council is opening itself up to potential legal action. In recent years, the display has included over 300 LGBTQI+ Progress Pride flags, developed in 2018 by non-binary American artist and designer Daniel Quasar. Based on the iconic rainbow flag from 1978, the redesign celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ community and calls for a more inclusive society, celebrating trans, black and brown, gender non-binary and intersex community members. But hardline Christians say the flags, which on June 22 will replace Union Jacks currently flying to mark VE Day, create division by excluding more traditional views. Christian Concern has previously made the point to the council that the Cass Review prohibits the indoctrination and confusion of primary school children with trans ideologies. But the group claims: 'The flags do just that, exposing the hundreds of thousands of children who walk up and down Regent Street, including those who visit Hamleys, to a message and symbols which will be unlawful to teach and display in schools.' Last year, Christian Concern launched a petition signed by 31,000 people calling for a similar display to be stopped. Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said: 'Many people experience these flags as an attack on historic, traditional beliefs about sex and gender. 'They send the message that people holding these views, which are worthy of respect in a democratic society, are not welcome. 'The majority of the public does not know the highly controversial and harmful symbolism presented by the Progress Pride Flag. At the heart of the flag is the trans flag – pink for girls, blue for boys and white for the 'transition' phase. 'This ideology has been discredited by the Cass Review, the closure of the Tavistock, and most recently Supreme Court ruling. When will the Crown estate catch up with the rest of society? 'If the council chooses to proceed with the display, we will have no option but to pursue legal action.' The proposed flags will be hung from supporting wires, making use of existing fixing points which are intended for reuse. In the planning report, Westminster planning officer Shaun Retzback noted that the flags would be hung at 20 locations along the street running from Oxford Circus to Piccadilly from June 22 until July 17. He said: 'Flags are, in principle, an acceptable, colourful addition to Regent Street's buildings and there is a longstanding tradition of such displays. More Trending 'The flags proposed, to be strung on lines across the street, are not harmful to visual amenity for the temporary period sought, neither are they harmful when considered cumulatively with other flags and banners displayed on buildings in the street at present and across the street from time to time.' A Westminster City Council spokesperson told Metro: 'The council supports festivals and celebrations from our different communities across the year. Pride is an annual and established fixture and has been supported by the Council for many years. 'Pride flags are in keeping with a cosmopolitan City that welcomes millions of visitors every year. All public community celebrations have a fixed duration and are both proportionate and fitting. Given similar pronouncements in previous years we await further information about the Christian Legal Centre's legal challenge with interest.' Metro contacted the Crown Estate. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: £20 Pan-Indian feast from a Michelin-starred chef: 10 unmissable Time Out deals MORE: Enjoy the weekend's heat with London's best boat restaurants MORE: 'Swan Whisperer' banned from Hyde Park after residents objected to him kissing the birds
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Shoppers warned of ‘substantial' shortages of staple summer drink on supermarket shelves from today
SHOPPERS have been warned there will be "substantial" shortages of a classic summer drink from TODAY. Brits were devastated to learn they could find empty wine shelves in supermarkets up and down the country. 1 Bottles have disappeared rapidly after a popular wine supplier announced its workers are going on strike. Staff at Encirc, a Bristol based warehouse that holds 18 of the most drank wine brands in the UK, kicked off the 16-day walk out today. Around 2000 employees at the site, in Avonmouth, revealed they will carry out the industrial action from June 19 to July 5. Unit members are going on strike over a pay dispute, as reported by the Express, after already being offered a 3.2 per cent wage increase. A union spokesperson claimed workers are not paid properly despite the "very profitable company" Encirc turning over £600million. It will see key figures in bottling, packaging and distribution, walk out on different dates - as well as a 12 week overtime ban. Experts have claimed the strike could see a "significant" shortage of wines at UK supermarkets. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Encirc's meanness to its workers is all about greed and not need. "This is a very lucrative company that can fully afford to pay its workers properly but it is choosing not to. "Unite will not stand idly by and allow Encric to steal our members hard won rights. Five Lidl rosés you need this summer, according to a wine expert - a £6.99 buy is as light & crispy as £22 Whispering Angel "Encirc workers deserve better and they have Unite's full support throughout this dispute." Unite regional officer John Sweeney added: "There is no doubt that this action will hit supermarket shelves. "While shortages may be frustrating for customers looking to enjoy a bottle of wine this summer, the situation is entirely of Encirc's own making. "Management has constantly refused to engage meaningfully. Encirc needs to return to the negotiating table with a vastly improved offer." Encirc said it is 'open to dialogue with the union in good faith.' This comes as beer fans are going bananas over this summer beverage accessory that has been branded a "great product." The product is currently on sale for nearly half the price and can arrive at your home in time for the weekend. And, Sun reporter Helen Nicklin has tested a range of supermarket summer cocktails in a can. The winner was a Pimm's mix - which was £10 cheaper than the new Aperol Spritz. Shoppers can now pick up the 200ml bottles in packs of four at specific supermarkets – taking all the hassle out of cocktail making. And it is not the only big-name tipple that has been canned for your convenience. Here, drinks expert Helena sips and scores a selection of pre-mixed cocktails. Plus, Morrisons shoppers have raised a glass this week as the industry giant rolls out brand-new cocktails for just £1.50 per drink – and they're perfect for summer BBQs. The budget-friendly booze is part of an exclusive tie-up with premium cocktail brand The Drinks Bureau, bringing a taste of the bar straight to your garden party. Available now in over 280 Morrisons stores across the UK, the 1.5-litre cocktail boxes are priced at £15 each – or just £12 with a More Card. That works out at as little as £1.20 per serving, offering premium drinks at pocket-friendly prices. Each box contains ten ready-to-drink servings and includes a tap-style spout for easy pouring, making it an ideal option for hassle-free entertaining. It's also the first time shoppers can get premium 'on tap' cocktails from a UK supermarket – a format that's proven popular in bars and pubs. How to save money buying alcohol Alcohol can be pricey if you're planning a party or hosting an event but there are ways to cut costs. It's always important to drink responsibly, here, Sun Savers Editor Lana Clements share some tips on getting booze for the best price. Stocking up can mean big savings on drinks, especially if you want to buy wine or fizz. The big supermarkets regularly offer discounts of 25% when you buy six or more bottles of wine. The promotions typically run in the lead up to occasions such as Bank Holidays, Christmas and Easter. If you know you are going to need booze later in the year, it can be worth acting when you see offers. Before buying your preferred drink make sure you shop around to find the best price – you can use a comparison site such as or Don't forget that loyalty cards can unlock better savings so make sure you factor that in too. If you like your plonk, wine clubs can also be a good way to save money and try new varieties. You'll usually have to pay a membership fee in return for cheaper price so work out if you will be buying enough to make the one off cost worthwhile.
