Wind Energy – Floating Wind
Offshore wind developers Flotation Energy and Cobra have announced that their pioneering Celtic Sea floating offshore wind project, White Cross, has been granted full onshore and offshore planning approval.
The White Cross Offshore Wind Farm project applied to North Devon Council and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) in 2023 to construct and operate a 100MW floating offshore wind farm and for works to connect the wind farm to the grid.
The proposed wind farm, located 52km off the Devon coast, will consist of six to eight state-of-the-art floating wind turbines and, when operational, will generate enough clean electricity to power around 135,000 households.
The offshore application was submitted to the MMO in March 2023, and the onshore planning application was submitted to North Devon Council in September 2023. The applications were the subject of three rounds of public consultation.
Following the approval at North Devon Council’s Planning Committee on Wednesday, 7 May, the council has now granted consent for the onshore elements of the project. Meanwhile, the Marine Management Organisation has issued a Marine Licence under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 to enable the offshore elements of the project under the South West Marine Plan.
