EDF Renewables Ireland has formed a partnership with Simply Blue Group to develop the Western Star and Emerald floating wind projects in Ireland. The companies will collaborate to develop the initiatives via a joint venture (JV). The alliance supports the Irish government’s goal of producing 7 GW of offshore wind energy by 2030. The Western Star project, which will be built 35 km off the west coast of Clare County, is expected to have a 1.35 GW capacity. In order to allow the construction of turbines at a depth of more than 100 metres, it will use new floating technology.
Reportedly, the Emerald Project will be located in the Celtic Sea, off the south coast of Ireland. It will have a 1.3 GW maximum generation capacity, and its wind turbines will be situated between 35 and 60 km from the coast. About two million homes across the country will have access to clean electricity because of the combined capabilities of the two projects.
In March 2023, Eoliennes en Mer Manche Normandie, a consortium of EDF Renewables and Maple Power, announced its plans to build a 1 GW offshore wind facility known as Centre Manche 1 off the coast of Normandy, France. The project company has been announced as the winner of an offshore wind tender launched by the French Ministry of Energy Transition in January 2021.
