Massive floating wind turbines as high as The Shard to be made at new terminal in Avonmouth

Massive floating wind turbines the size of The Shard are set to be made at a proposed new development at Avonmouth Dock and shipped out to the Celtic Sea to power more than four million homes. Bristol Port Company has announced plans for a major new terminal to support the construction of three huge wind farms off the South West/South Wales coast.

The project to boost the UK’s offshore wind power to help meet net zero targets and reduce reliance on foreign suppliers of electricity is being spearheaded by the Crown Estate, which owns much of the seabed and helps fund the Royal Family, in partnership with the Labour government’s publicly owned new energy company Great British Energy. It will also create 5,300 on-shore jobs in the wider region through the supply chain, including at Bristol Port, rising to 40,000 by 2040, and give a £1.4billion boost to the national economy.

More than 260 turbines will be spread across the three sites, each 300 metres tall – twice the height of Blackpool Tower – on a floating platform the size of a football pitch. They will be held in place by more than 1,000 anchors on the seabed with about 200 miles of mooring lines and 500 miles of cables linking the turbines and connecting them to the electricity network.

The initial three wind farms will generate 4.5 gigawatts of renewable energy, and this will nearly quadruple with the creation of more in the Celtic Sea in future. Bristol Port Company has announced its intention to play an integral role in the scheme by producing, assembling and deploying the turbines in a new deepwater terminal, set to be fully operational in 2030.

It will have a new quay wall, slipway for launching floating sub-structures and extended breakwater. North Somerset Council leader Cllr Mike Bell (Lib Dem, Weston-super-Mare Central) has welcomed the development.

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, he said: “Brilliant to see proposals from @bristolport for a new Bristol Wind Terminal at Avonmouth. The wider benefits will be significant and help North Somerset and the West of England capitalise on investment and jobs from Celtic Sea energy.”

Announcing the latest stage of the project in August, which invited detailed bids from wind power businesses, Crown Estate managing director for marine Gus Jaspert said: “The UK’s offshore wind industry is a global success story, supporting tens of thousands of jobs and contributing billions to the UK economy. As the need for new offshore wind capacity increases, we have challenged ourselves to find ways to accelerate its deployment.

“This includes a multi-million pound programme of technical and environmental surveys upfront, and our groundbreaking collaboration with the Electricity Systems Operator, which means that bidders looking to develop floating wind farms in the Celtic Sea can progress their schemes in the knowledge that there is already a rigorously assessed recommendation for the network needed to connect them to the grid. Floating offshore wind presents a new transformative opportunity for the country, the region around the Celtic Sea and the marine environment.

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“We look forward to working with industry, governments and local communities to ensure the potential of this new technology is truly realised.” Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband said: “Floating offshore wind is a world-leading technology that can play a vital role in our efforts to boost energy independence, create good jobs, and tackle the climate crisis.

“Already, the Crown Estate has formed an exciting new partnership with Great British Energy, and this latest leasing round offers even more opportunities to deliver these projects. This, combined with over £1.5billion we’re offering through the next Contracts for Difference auction, will give developers the confidence to deliver here – and help us reach clean power by 2030.”