Paris, 17 March 2026 – Qair has secured planning consent for the onshore infrastructure of the Ayre Offshore Wind Farm, a 1 GW floating wind project located east of Orkney, Scotland. Building on the success of Eolmed, France’s pioneering pilot floating wind farm, Ayre reinforces Qair’s expertise in floating wind technology across Europe.
Ayre: A key floating wind project in the UK
The approved application covers the onshore transmission infrastructure required to connect the offshore wind farm to the national electricity network, a critical step toward construction and a major milestone for Qair’s first large-scale offshore wind project in the UK.
With a capacity of 1 GW, Ayre is part of the UK’s first wave of commercial-scale floating offshore wind projects, reinforcing Qair’s role in advancing this transformative technology.
Subject to securing the remaining consents, construction is anticipated to begin around 2030.
Energy Observer across Europe: mapping Qair’s floating wind scale-up
Qair’s leadership in floating wind was recently showcased as Energy Observer, sailing from Port-La Nouvelle to the UK, stopped in Brest, France. The visit of our partner vessel— a unique demonstration project for carbon-free shipping—provided an opportunity to highlight Ayre and Qair’s other flagship offshore projects in France:
- Eolmed, developed by Qair in the Mediterranean, is one of France’s first pilot floating wind farms. As a key project for the sector, Eolmed will validate the technological and industrial models for floating wind power, driving France’s energy transition. The project’s completion was celebrated in late 2025 during Energy Observer’s stopover in Port-La Nouvelle.
- Eolbleu, a consortium formed with Plenitude, focuses on developing four commercial-scale offshore wind farms in the Mediterranean and southern Brittany.
These projects illustrate Qair’s end-to-end expertise, from pilot initiatives to large-scale commercial developments, and its commitment to advancing floating wind energy in France and beyond.
Read also
Qair and innovation
As a forerunner in renewable energies, Qair develops innovative projects and positions itself as a pioneer in sectors such as floating wind power with 30 MW pilot farm Eolmed, tidal power with FloWatt and green hydrogen with Hyd’Occ, which will become the largest renewable production unit in France.
About Qair
Qair is an independent renewable energy company developing, financing, building, and operating solar, wind, storage and green hydrogen production assets.
With 1.7 GW of capacity in operation or construction, the Group’s 780 employees are developing a portfolio pipeline of 33 GW in 20 countries across Europe, Latin America and Africa. Our ambition is to become an independent leader in responsible energy.
For media inquiries, please contact:
- Media Relations : press@qair.energy | +33 (0)1 79 35 67 11