The Crown Estate has increased the size of its upcoming Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5 off the coast of Wales and South West England to 4.5GW.
The body has defined areas for floating offshore wind developments following a period of engagement with developers and wider stakeholders on proposals set out in July over how to make the best use of available space in the Celtic Sea.
Three project development areas (PDAs) of roughly equal size are expected to be made available to bidders, as opposed to the previously proposed four PDAs of varying sizes. No bidder will be able to secure an agreement for a lease for more than one PDA.
As a result of bringing forward three equal-sized PDAs – each with a potential capacity of up to 1.5GW – the overall capacity available through Round 5 has increased from a possible 4GW to up to 4.5GW, enough to power more than 4m homes.
According to Crown Estate, this lays a secure foundation to realise the significant benefits on offer through establishing a successful floating wind industry around the Celtic Sea.
Alongside information on the location and size of the new windfarms, Crown Estate also updated developers on its multi-million-pound programme of marine surveys. The studies are designed to provide developers with data to help inform their decision-making and de-risk projects at an early stage, as well as support winning bidders through the consenting process.
The latest phase of this work started in late September, with specially equipped aeroplanes taking to the skies to gather data on the sea birds and marine mammals around the project sites and more widely in the Celtic Sea.
“Round 5 is set to be one of the biggest projects of its kind in the world and will be a game changer for the UK’s energy security and net zero ambitions. It also stands to be transformative for communities across South Wales and South West England. Businesses and communities of all sizes stand to benefit from the opportunities on offer, but it will require ongoing collaboration to make these a reality,” Gus Jaspert, managing director of marine at Crown Estate, said.
