Norway’s Magnora eyes 700 MW floating offshore wind project in Celtic Sea

OSLO (Reuters) – Norwegian energy firm Magnora is considering bidding for two floating offshore wind projects with total capacity of 700 megawatt (MW) in the Celtic Sea in partnership with Welsh developer Hiraeth Energy, Magnora said on Wednesday.

The project is part of Crown Estate plans to offer leases to industry players of up to 4 gigawatt (GW) capacity, Magnora subsidiary Magnora Offshore Wind said. The Estate manages the seabed and half the foreshore around England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The leasing process could see rights awarded by the end of 2023, with projects delivered from 2030, Magnora Offshore Wind added.

The subsidiary was recently awarded a lease offer to develop a 495 MW offshore wind project in Scotland.

The British government said on Tuesday it will commit nearly 32 million pounds ($43 million) to fund the development of floating offshore wind projects.

($1 = 0.7408 pounds)

(Reporting by Nora Buli; editing by John Stonestreet)