The company also acquired the related land rights and meteorological data from the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult.
Capable of accommodating up to 15 turbines, the project will comprise a testing area to trial new technology in realistic conditions ahead of commercial operations.
A final investment decision on building the site, which is claimed to be the largest approved offshore wind testing facility in the UK, is scheduled to be made in 2015 and the project is planned to be completed by 2016 or 2017.
The Crown Estate head of offshore wind Huub Den Rooijen said: "Blyth offers an unparalleled opportunity to test new technologies capable of driving down the cost of offshore wind development and unlocking new areas of resource off our coast."
EDF ER CEO Christian Egal said: "We’re delighted to be getting access to a UK site which, subject to a final investment decision by our Investment Committee, could give us the opportunity to further enhance our expertise in building offshore wind farms and to test new technologies.
"Offshore projects present their own unique challenges for developers and having the opportunity to install, and operate much larger machines than we’ve done previously could give us vital experience to take to other projects around the UK and other EDF sites abroad."
EDF Energy R&D also signed an agreement with ORE Catapult to collaborate on developing R&D projects to deal with several technology challenges facing the sector.
