The Crown Estate has today announced that it will support clean energy company Morwind to produce a feasibility study for Channel Gateway, a proposed deep-water offshore wind port at Portland. If taken forward, the project could generate up to £2.7 billion in economic benefit and create thousands of jobs across Portland, Weymouth, Dorset and the wider South West.
A wind port is a specialised maritime facility designed specifically to support the construction, deployment and long-term operation of offshore wind farms. Unlike traditional ports, wind ports offer deep-water access, large industrial areas and heavy-lift infrastructure required to handle the enormous turbine blades, towers, concrete foundations and floating substructures used in offshore wind. They serve as hubs for manufacturing components, assembling and integrating large-scale structures, marshalling equipment for transport out to sea, and providing operations and maintenance services throughout the life of an offshore wind project. As the UK accelerates its transition to clean energy, such facilities are essential to building and maintaining offshore wind farms at scale.
The proposed Channel Gateway facility is designed to play this role for the UK’s offshore wind sector, offering manufacturing capacity for concrete substructures, integration and assembly areas, staging and marshalling zones for turbine deployment, and long-term operations and maintenance support. Its strategic deep-water location makes Portland an ideal base for serving wind development zones in the English Channel and beyond.
Cllr Nick Ireland, Leader of Dorset Council, welcomed the news, saying:
Funding for the Channel Gateway Project is a major opportunity for the UK and will bring investment and energy to Dorset. We’re working with our unitary neighbours at Somerset, Wiltshire and BCP councils through the Wessex Partnership to boost regional growth and, with The Crown Estate, we plan to support offshore wind supply chains, creating jobs, social value and economic growth for local communities.
The project represents a transformational opportunity for Portland, Weymouth and South Dorset. Channel Gateway is expected to generate over 1,000 direct jobs at the port itself and more than 5,000 roles in the wider regional supply chain, helping deliver long-term economic prosperity and positioning the region at the heart of Britain’s clean energy future. The proposal has received strong support from local stakeholders who recognise the significant economic, social and employment benefits it could bring.
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