Firm advises Blue Gem on Celtic Seal floating offshore wind development

Burges Salmon has advised TotalEnergies and Simply Blue Group’s joint venture, Blue Gem Wind, on the consenting application for its 100MW Erebus floating offshore wind project.

Blue Gem Wind has applied to Welsh Ministers under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 for consent to build and operate Erebus, alongside a separate application to Natural Resources Wales for a marine licence under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009.

Erebus, named after the famous ship built in Pembroke Dock in 1826, is expected to be located about 28 miles off the coast of Pembrokeshire, southwest Wales.

Independent studies have suggested there could be as much as 50GW of electricity capacity available in the Celtic Sea waters of the UK and Ireland. This renewable energy resource could play a key role in the UK meeting the 2050 Net-Zero target required to mitigate climate change.

Erebus will provide new low carbon supply chain opportunities, support coastal communities and create long-term benefits for the region.

The Burges Salmon team advising on the application was led by Partner Julian Boswall and Director Paula McGeady. The work builds upon the wider advice that the Burges Salmon team is providing to Erebus on the development.

Mike Scott, Project Managing Director at Blue Gem, comments: “Sincere thanks to the Burges Salmon team – a pleasure to work with on this application. This represents a significant milestone for project Erebus and kick-starts the stepping-stone approach to floating wind in the Celtic Sea.”

Ross Fairley, Head of Renewables at Burges Salmon, says: “It has been a pleasure to assist Blue Gem Wind on what we hope will be the first of many such projects in the Celtic Sea and more widely. With our HQ based in Bristol we see this as a tremendous opportunity for Wales and the South West. Our consenting team has been leading the way in offshore wind for many years and this is another milestone for them.”