en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 10, Japan's Sumitomo Corporation disclosed that it had acquired a 33.3% stake in the Gwynt Glas floating offshore wind project in the UK, officially becoming an equal shareholder alongside EDF Power Solutions UK & Ireland, a subsidiary of EDF Group, and Ireland's Electricity Supply Board (ESB). Upon completion of the transaction, the three parties each hold a 33.3% project interest, with the project's planned installed capacity reaching up to 1.5 GW.
The project was selected as a preferred bidder in the fifth round of offshore wind leasing by The Crown Estate in June 2025, and a lease agreement was signed in October of the same year. Under the agreement, the developers will continue to advance project design, onshore and offshore site surveys, environmental impact assessment, public engagement, and planning consent work; upon completion of these preliminary stages, the project will still need to apply for a full lease before the wind farm can be constructed and operated.
In June 2026, the project submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) scoping report to the UK Planning Inspectorate, Natural Resources Wales, and the UK Marine Management Organisation, seeking feedback on the topics and assessment methodologies to be addressed in the subsequent EIA, with public consultation planned for autumn 2026. The project is currently still in the early-stage development and consent preparation phase.
Sumitomo Corporation stated that this is its first participation in a floating offshore wind project. Under the new shareholding structure, the three shareholders will jointly advance the project's subsequent development, with DP Energy continuing to provide early-stage development and local stakeholder engagement support.
According to the latest timeline published by Sumitomo Corporation, the project plans to submit consent applications starting in 2028, with commercial operation expected in the late 2030s. The next phase of work will focus on confirming the EIA scope, public consultation, site surveys, and preparation of consent application materials.
