Independent UK law firm Burges Salmon has advised ESB, the Irish renewable energy developer and a leader in the clean energy transition, on its strategic partnership with EDF Renewables UK and Reventus Power to develop the Gwynt Glas Floating Offshore Wind Farm in the Celtic Sea. The partnership sees each of the three entities owning a 33.33% share of the project, with the trio expected to bid in The Crown Estate’s Leasing Round 5.
The Gwynt Glas Floating Offshore Wind Farm project aims to boost clean energy generation and support regional economic prosperity, while minimising disruption to the natural environment and local communities. With a capacity of up to 1.5GW, the project could power approximately 920,000 homes.
A multi-disciplinary group of lawyers from Burges Salmon's Energy team advised ESB, led by Malcolm Donald (partner) and Niall Mackle (associate) from the Corporate team, and James Phillips (partner) from the Projects team. Chris Worrall (partner), Shachi Nathdwarawala (director) and Sandra Mapara (associate) provided support on the competition law aspects of the transaction.
Malcolm Donald comments: “Over the last two decades, offshore wind has established itself as a key enabler of the UK’s energy transition and, as its deployment accelerates, floating wind is expected to play an increasing role in the global energy mix. We’re thrilled to have advised ESB on this exciting new venture with EDF and Reventus, bringing together three highly experienced partners and establishing a new force for good in the floating wind sector.”
Gary Connolly, Head of UK Offshore Wind Development at ESB, adds: "We’re delighted to be joining forces with EDF and Reventus in a collective effort to secure rights in The Crown Estate Round 5 seabed allocation process. As ESB drives towards its Net Zero by 2040 target, it is recognised that offshore wind will be a crucial contributor to that goal, and in particular floating offshore. We’re grateful for Burges Salmon’s excellent advice on the transaction, the firm’s impressive understanding of floating wind meant they guided us through the complexities with ease and agility.”
Burges Salmon has over 20 years of experience in the renewable energy sector and is regularly engaged in first-of-a-kind work across onshore and offshore wind, solar, BESS, biomass, hydrogen and geothermal projects. The firm regularly advises the sector on collaborative ventures and recently acted for Bluefield Solar and GLIL on a strategic partnership to boost investment in the UK solar market.