Gwynt y Mor offshore wind farm

Gwynt y Mor is a 576 MW offshore wind farm with 160 turbines in Welsh waters. Its status in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract) is: operational since 18 June 2015; the record was last updated on 19 August 2020. Its REPD grid reference is 17 km from the nearest postcode on land (LL18 3YP, Denbighshire). It was consented under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 by the Secretary of State for energy (REPD: DECC, the energy department at the time).

How it works ↓

Data: REPD July 2026 extract · calculated 7 November 2026 · Methodology and sources

576 MWoffshore wind farm

operationalstatus in REPD

19 August 2020record last updated

17 km from land (Denbighshire)REPD location

Consent timeline

Date	Stage
1 November 2005	Application submitted
3 December 2008	Section 36 consent granted (Secretary of State)
1 March 2012	Construction started
18 June 2015	Operational

Project details

Technology: offshore wind farm
Capacity: 576 MW
Turbines: 160
Turbine capacity: 3.6 MW
Status (REPD): operational
Record last updated: 19 August 2020
Operator or applicant: RWE
Consenting authority (REPD): DECC (S36)
Application reference: not recorded
Nearest postcode on land: LL18 3YP (Denbighshire), 17.0 km from the REPD grid reference
Time to decision: 161 weeks
REPD reference: 2543

Who decides

It was consented under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 by the Secretary of State for energy (REPD: DECC, the energy department at the time).

Postcode districts within 40 km

District	km
Rhyl (LL18)	18.9
Colwyn Bay (LL29)	19.1
Llandudno (LL30)	19.7
Prestatyn (LL19)	19.8
Colwyn Bay (LL28)	20.6
Abergele (LL22)	20.8
Llandudno Junction (LL31)	21.9
St Asaph (LL17)	25.7
Conwy (LL32)	26.0
Penmaenmawr (LL34)	27.9
Wirral (CH47)	31.0
Holywell (CH8)	31.6

Straight-line distance from the centre of each postcode district to the REPD grid reference of the wind farm, which is a single point for the whole site.

Other offshore wind projects within 30 km

Project	MW	Status	km
Rhyl Flats	90	operational	8.5
Awel y Mor Offshore Wind Farm	775	approved, not built	11.7
North Hoyle	60	operational	12.5
Burbo Bank Extension (Burbo Bank 2)	258	operational	23.8
Mona Offshore Wind Farm	1,500	approved, not built	24.3
Burbo Bank	90	operational	29.5

All offshore wind farms in UK waters

Status and dates as recorded in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract); the database can lag behind consent decisions. Location: REPD grid reference (53.454, -3.6266).

From application to operation, Gwynt y Mor (in Welsh, Gwynt y Môr) took almost ten years, and consent took longest. The application was submitted on 1 November 2005; the Section 36 consent (the REPD record lists DECC as the decision-maker) came on 3 December 2008, after 161 weeks. The median for offshore wind is 95.8 weeks, so the farm waited more than one and a half times as long. Construction began on 1 March 2012, and the 160 turbines of 3.6 MW have been operational since 18 June 2015.

Neighbours off the north Wales coast

Two small early farms stand within 30 km of the farm's location: Rhyl Flats at 90 MW, 8.5 km away, and North Hoyle at 60 MW, 12.5 km away. Two large ones are approved, not built: Awel y Mor at 775 MW and Mona at 1,500 MW. The nearest onshore postcode districts are Rhyl and Llandudno. Statuses come from the July 2026 REPD extract; the register can lag behind decisions.