Blue Gem Wind opens supply chain for 100MW Erebus floating wind project in Celtic Sea

Blue Gem Wind has opened supply-chain engagement for Erebus, its 100MW floating offshore wind project in the Celtic Sea, inviting Welsh and UK businesses to register interest ahead of construction later this decade.

The developer launched the process at the Floating Offshore Wind 2026 conference in Aberdeen, according to Marine Energy Wales. Blue Gem Wind's own release on the launch was published on 7 October 2026.

The company said potential opportunities are expected to cover manufacturing and fabrication, ports and logistics, vessels, engineering and construction, electrical infrastructure, technology, and operations and maintenance.

David Groves, procurement director at Erebus by Blue Gem Wind, said: "We want to engage with the supply chain early, openly and meaningfully."

The engagement

Blue Gem Wind said the project team will work with suppliers, ports, industry organisations and other stakeholders to assess existing capability and identify gaps in the supply chain. Understanding the market, Groves said, will be an important part of developing the project's procurement approach.

"We want businesses to tell us what they can offer, where they see opportunities and what they need from the project to invest, grow and participate," he said.

Businesses that could not attend the Aberdeen conference can register interest and join the Erebus supply-chain database online, the company said. Blue Gem Wind also said it is working with the Welsh Government to maximise supply-chain opportunities on the project.

Project status

Erebus is described by Blue Gem Wind as a 100MW test and demonstration project off the coast of Pembrokeshire. The Welsh Government granted consent for the scheme, which it called Wales' first floating windfarm, in March 2023.

On 14 January 2026 the company confirmed it had been awarded a Contract for Difference (CfD) in Allocation Round 7 (AR7). The official AR7 results, published by the UK Government the same day, list the contract under applicant Blue Gem Wind Limited as a 100MW floating offshore wind project in Wales, with a strike price of £216.49/MWh at 2024 prices and a delivery year of 2029/30.

The programme has moved since consent. When Welsh Ministers approved the project in March 2023, the Welsh Government said Blue Gem Wind was on target to begin operating Erebus in 2026. The company's October 2026 release says construction is set for the end of the decade.

Welsh Government backing

The supply-chain push follows a written statement from Rebecca Evans MS, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, dated 12 March 2026, which referred to the Erebus project and said two offshore wind projects in Welsh waters had been awarded UK Government CfDs.

In that statement the Welsh Government said it had increased the Business Wales budget specifically to support supply-chain activity across the energy sector, and was reaching out to Tier 1 supply-chain companies to gauge their interest in investing in Wales.

What happens next

Alongside the supply-chain work, Blue Gem Wind said it plans a community engagement event in Pembrokeshire. Sean Evans, head of consenting at Erebus by Blue Gem Wind, said the team is keen to re-engage so local people can understand the project and ask questions.

The AR7 contract sets a delivery year of 2029/30 for the 100MW scheme.