RWE, a German energy major, has won development consent from the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Claire Coutinho, for its 500 MW plus Awel y Mor offshore wind project in Welsh waters. Reportedly, RWE will develop Awel y Mor in a joint venture with Stadtwerke München, which owns a 30 percent stake, and Siemens Financial Services, which owns a 10 percent stake.
Furthermore, the partners still await a marine licence from Natural Resources Wales to progress to the construction phase. The 50-turbine Awel y Mor will be constructed off the north Wales coast, west of the already operational Gwynt y Mor offshore wind farm of 576 MW. Its completion is expected to happen before the end of the decade.
In September 2023, RWE finalised offshore grid connection agreements with network operator TenneT for the OranjeWind offshore wind project. The offshore wind facility will have approximately 800 MW of capacity and will be built 53 km off the Dutch coast. The realisation of the grid connection and the transmission of the power produced by RWE’s wind farm on TenneT’s platform are included in the scope of the connection, transmission, and realisation agreements.
REGlobal’s Views: RWE is one of the leading offshore wind developers worldwide with more than 3 GW of operating capacity in just Europe. The company already has offshore wind projects in the UK and is focusing on further expanding its portfolio in this market. Further, in order to more than double its capacity by the end of this decade, the company is investing in projects in Americas and Asia Pacific regions as well.
