Port Talbot has been awarded a £64m ($85m) grant from the UK government to enable Associated British Ports (ABP) to complete the design and engineering work needed to build one of the first floating offshore wind ports in the country.

The Celtic Sea offers some of the best conditions for floating offshore wind in Europe. Unlike traditional offshore wind farms, floating turbines are situated in deeper waters, where they can harness stronger, more consistent wind speeds. 

The new port will unlock an initial 4.5GW of floating offshore wind projects in the Celtic Sea, enough to power 6.5m homes, following last year’s successful seabed leasing round.

ABP expect that, once completed, the new port will support thousands of jobs and unlock over £500m ($665m) in investment for Port Talbot.

“From floating offshore wind in Port Talbot to a new generation of small modular reactors at Wylfa – this government is putting Wales at the heart of our clean energy superpower mission. With its deep waters and strong winds, we are supporting Wales to storm ahead in floating offshore wind,” said UK energy secretary Ed Miliband.