First Power

Awel y Môr, RWE’s proposed 775MW offshore wind farm extension to the existing 576MW Gwynt y Môr project off the north Wales coast, is currently targeting initial power export to the grid by 2031. Trade press coverage following the UK Contracts for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round 7 reports that the 50‑turbine array is “due online by 2031,” indicating the developer’s working window for achieving first power and broader energisation of the site. This timing reflects the project’s progression through key development milestones, including consent and revenue support, and frames expectations for when the project will begin contributing electricity to the UK system and the Welsh economy.[1] The timeline to first power is underpinned by the project’s success in securing a CfD in January 2026 as part of Auction Round 7, which RWE and its partners describe as providing a route to market and enabling the scheme to move towards construction and a Final Investment Decision.[1][2] Awel y Môr received its Development Consent Order in September 2023, along with the necessary marine licences from Natural Resources Wales on behalf of the Welsh Government, positioning it as Wales’ largest consented offshore wind farm.[2] With these approvals in place and revenue support now obtained, the 2031 online target functions as the indicative window for first power, after completion of construction and commissioning activities.