The Crown Estate - responsible for leasing UK seabed space for renewable energy projects - has mapped out the potential offshore areas to deploy the technology, which they say is "the next frontier in green growth".

And the floating turbines can be sited in deeper water to capture higher winds than conventional offshore wind farms can take.

The sites in the Celtic Sea are rich in natural resources, especially wind, and if development goes ahead they would be open for competitive tender next year and home to the first generation of commercial-scale floating wind farms.

As part of a drive towards green energy production, the five areas would have the potential to deliver four gigawatts of power by 2035 - enough to run nearly four million homes.

And the Crown Estate believes that further development in the Celtic Sea could generate another 20 gigawatts by 2045.

Researchers say they considered the impact on fishing, the environment and navigation routes.

Huub den Rooijen from the Crown Estate said: "The Celtic Sea has the potential to become one of the great renewable energy basins of the world, bringing economic growth and abundant clean power.

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"This leasing round is a first step, and we need to work together to bring technology costs down, deliver environmentally sound solutions and respect the needs of the many other users of the marine space."

Greg Hands, energy and climate change minister, said: "We already have the largest offshore wind deployment in Europe. Floating technology is key to unlocking the full potential of our coastline."

He added: "These projects can help power millions of homes with clean, and cheaper, renewable energy, reducing reliance on expensive fossil fuels."

The plan will now face independent review and researchers will look in detail at the zones, refining the areas and whether to go ahead with three "test and demonstration" sites.