Plans to develop the 240-turbine Atlantic Array wind farm in the Bristol Channel have been abandoned. The German energy group RWE said in a statement that the project, which would have created thousands of jobs and supplied electricity to 900,000 homes, had been cancelled due to technical challenges and unfavourable market conditions.

RWE added that the Crown Estate had accepted its request to terminate their agreement for the Bristol Channel Zone, enabling it to cease development and surrender its option for the Atlantic Array project. However, the company said that future innovations and cost reductions may still open up new opportunities to build a commercially viable wind farm in the Bristol Channel in the next 10 years.

Huub den Rooijen, head of offshore wind at the Crown Estate, added: “Now that the industry has been developing projects for a number of years, there is a much deeper understanding of the characteristics of successful projects, and we will see further attrition in the time to come. Paradoxically, this is a positive development, because it provides greater clarity to key stakeholders and brings greater focus to the investment opportunities.”

The Atlantic Array was earmarked for a site 22.5km off the South Wales coast, 16.5km off the Devon coast and 13.5km from Lundy Island. The maximum height of the 240 turbines would have been 220m.