Interview with Hugh Kelly, Simply Blue Group

Can you tell our readers a little about your organisation?

Established in 2011, Simply Blue Group is an ambitious, values-driven company at the forefront of the
global blue economy. Headquartered in Cork, Ireland, we combine deep technical expertise, innovation and
strong stakeholder engagement to advance the transition to a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.

We self-funded for a period of time before receiving investment, the first tranche being in 2021, from
two Octopus-managed funds. They remain as significant shareholders in our Group Holding company. In
October 2025, Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. (“KEPCO”) signed a Share Subscription Agreement with
Simply Blue Energy OSW Ltd (SBE OSW), our offshore wind development platform. This strategic investment
marked KEPCO’s first investment involving management participation in an offshore wind developer and was
a massive vote of confidence in our team, its expertise and in our project portfolio.

We are actively developing a portfolio that includes 8 GW of floating offshore wind and 4 GW of
fixed-bottom wind projects across several markets including Ireland, the UK, Spain, Portugal, Greece and
Canada.

In Ireland we have two floating offshore wind projects, Emerald and Western Star, that we are developing
in a 50/50 partnership with EDF Renewables. In the UK, we have our 100 MW Erebus project with
TotalEnergies, a test and demonstration project which has just won a CfD in AR7 (Allocation Round 7). We
also have the 100 MW Salamander project in Scotland which we are developing with Odfjell Ocean Winds and
Subsea 7. In Spain and Portugal we are partnered with Proes Consultores and FF New Ventures and in
Greece we are working with Archirodon.

What are the most exciting developments you have seen in the wind
industry?

The most exciting development of late has been AR7 and the award of CfDs to two, floating test and
demonstration projects – one being Erebus – that will further prove floating technology and provide the
pipeline the supply chain needs to prepare for the delivery of the commercial-scale floating projects
that will follow. I refer, in particular, to the 3 sites with a total capacity of 4.5 GW that were
leased in the Celtic Sea Leasing Round 5 last year.

What changes would you like to see in the wind industry?

I’d like to see faster permitting and clearer regulatory frameworks to keep pace with the rapid scaling
of wind projects, especially floating offshore wind. Continued cost reduction through standardisation
and supply-chain maturity is also critical, along with greater investment in ports, vessels and grid
infrastructure. Finally, stronger collaboration across developers, OEMs, governments and communities
would help accelerate deployment while ensuring projects are delivered sustainably and at scale.
Governments have a responsibility to ensure that short-term populism, designed primarily to win
elections, even if it reduces long-term prosperity and security, is not allowed to undermine the truth
regarding the climate emergency nor diminish the commitment necessary to deliver sustainable societies.

Going forward, what role do you see your organisation playing in the
future development of wind energy?

Simply Blue will continue to champion the growth of offshore wind and floating by delivering innovative,
sustainable projects. We want to expand clean energy capacity, support grid integration and, by doing
so, play our part in helping to shape the future of the offshore wind sector globally.

How has WindEurope membership benefited your organisation?

Simply Blue has been a Global Player member of WindEurope for nearly five years. Membership has given us
timely policy updates, valuable market insights and excellent strategic networking—especially at the
annual WindEurope exhibition and conference. It has also increased the visibility of our brand and
provided practical support that helps a project developer such as us grow in the European wind energy
market.

If we look ten years ahead, what do you hope to have achieved?

To have delivered multiple floating offshore wind projects, installed, operating and producing clean
renewable energy!