Europe’s Leading Ports Form New Cross-Border Partnership to Accelerate Infrastructure for Floating Offshore Wind

From Left to Right: Andy Reay, ABP Group Head of Offshore Wind, Richard Szuflak, Deputy CEO BrestPort and Jerry Hallissey, Head of Business Development – Shannon Foynes Port Authority.

(IN BRIEF) Associated British Ports has partnered with France’s BrestPort and Ireland’s Shannon Foynes Port Company to create the world’s first Global Floating Offshore Wind Ports Alliance, an initiative introduced at RenewableUK’s Floating Offshore Wind Conference in Aberdeen to promote coordinated development of port infrastructure for floating offshore wind across Europe. The alliance is designed to drive collaboration on port design, operational standards, and shared learnings from early projects, helping ports prepare for the large-scale rollout of floating wind technologies. ABP is advancing major investments at Port Talbot and the Cromarty Firth Energy Park, while BrestPort continues extensive expansions to support offshore renewable energy production, and Shannon Foynes plans to leverage its deep-water estuary to become a leading staging hub for floating wind in the Atlantic. Together, the three ports aim to accelerate the transition to floating offshore wind by pooling expertise, strengthening supply chain readiness and supporting the development of a more integrated European clean-energy ecosystem.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 13-Nov-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Associated British Ports (ABP) has joined forces with BrestPort in France and Shannon Foynes Port Company in Ireland to form the world’s first Global Floating Offshore Wind Ports Alliance, an international collaboration designed to accelerate the development of port infrastructure essential for floating offshore wind (FLOW). The new alliance, introduced during RenewableUK’s Floating Offshore Wind Conference in Aberdeen, brings together major European ports to exchange technical knowledge, support standardisation, and strengthen operational best practices as the FLOW sector moves from early demonstration to industrial-scale deployment.

ABP, long recognised as the UK’s leading ports group and a key facilitator for offshore wind for more than three decades, will help guide the partnership as it seeks to expand membership across Europe. With 21 ports handling around a quarter of the UK’s seaborne trade and experience across every stage of offshore wind development, ABP aims to use its scale and expertise to support a harmonised approach to future FLOW port requirements.

“Today represents a significant step forward for floating offshore wind in Europe,” said Andy Reay, ABP Group Head of Offshore Wind. “By working closely with partners in this alliance, we can accelerate innovation at scale and ensure port infrastructure keeps pace with the rapid growth of this sector. Floating turbines unlock deeper waters, giving the UK major opportunities in regions such as the Celtic Sea and Scotland, where ABP is pursuing substantial port investment plans.”

ABP’s largest FLOW development initiative is centred on Port Talbot in Wales, where more than £500 million is planned for new and modernised infrastructure that will support turbine fabrication, assembly and logistics. The project is expected to become a major industrial hub capable of generating thousands of skilled jobs and drawing significant inward investment. In Scotland, ABP is developing the Cromarty Firth Energy Park to serve as a strategic support base for floating wind in northern waters.

BrestPort, operating the commercial port of Brest, has been investing heavily in offshore renewable energy for more than a decade. The Brittany Region’s commitment includes a €250 million investment to construct a major ORE terminal complete with a newly built polder, expanded terminal areas and a 400-metre heavy-lift quay. This infrastructure is already partially in use and will be fully operational by 2027, providing more than 50 hectares of space dedicated to offshore energy assembly and servicing.

“As we deepen our involvement in floating offshore wind, this alliance allows us to collaborate closely with ABP and other ports,” said Arnaud Le Roy, ORE Terminal Development Manager at BrestPort. “Our long-term investment strategy, which includes €900 million in energy-transition projects, positions Brest as a central player in the growth of floating wind.”

Shannon Foynes Port Company — responsible for managing the 500 km² Shannon Estuary — brings some of Europe’s most favourable natural conditions to the alliance. The estuary’s deep, sheltered waters, alongside extensive developable landbanks, create a unique environment for large-scale floating wind assembly, staging and operations. Cited in Ireland’s national planning documents, the region is seen as central to the country’s ambition to generate up to 30 GW of offshore wind from the Atlantic by 2050.

“With unmatched deep-water access and strategic land assets, Shannon Foynes Port Company is Ireland’s strongest contender to become the national hub for floating offshore wind,” said Pat Keating, Chief Executive of Shannon Foynes Port Company. “Joining the FLOW Ports Alliance allows us to share expertise and accelerate the realisation of substantial economic and environmental value for Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe.”

The Global Floating Offshore Wind Ports Alliance aims to support a coordinated and efficient expansion of Europe’s floating wind supply chain, ensuring port readiness as the sector transitions to commercial scale and begins contributing meaningfully to the continent’s clean energy security.

Media Contact:

Tim Morris
Head of Corporate Communications
tim.morris@abports.co.uk
Mob: +44 (0)7850 501 903

Pressiana Naydenova
Corporate Communications Manager
pressiana.naydenova@abports.co.uk
07702900830

SOURCE: Associated British Ports