Six new offshore wind farms have been given the go-ahead to move to lease agreement stage by the UK Government.
The projects will add 8GW of capacity and hundreds more jobs, with more than half located off the Humber, already the leading offshore wind operations and maintenance cluster.
RWE is behind two, off the Yorkshire coast, with Green Investment Group and Total successful with a third off Lincolnshire. All are proposed at 1.5MW - which if built now would constitute a world-leading scale.
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Also at that level is a project off the northern Welsh coast and another west of Morecambe Bay, both from EnBW and BP.
The final project is also off the Lancashire Coast, Blackpool, from Cobra Instalaciones y Servicios and Flotation Energy Plc. It is proposed at 480MW.
Together they have the potential to generate renewable electricity for more than seven million homes, and follow hot on the heels of the latest auction round that brought a record low for another emerging Humber-based project, Hornsea Three.
Dan Labbad, chief executive of The Crown Estate said: “Today is a pivotal moment on the UK’s journey towards net zero, strengthening the potential pipeline of future offshore wind projects and building vital resilience in domestic renewable energy supply.
“It is the result of a tremendous collective effort from industry, environmental and conservation stakeholders, governments, and technical experts who have helped shape a rigorous and evidence-led outcome. In convening this broad range of stakeholders, we have been able to take a more informed and strategic approach to environmental compensation than ever before, ensuring we balance our rich biodiversity with the urgent need to progress vital renewable infrastructure.
“As we continue to harness the benefits of UK offshore wind, we remain firmly committed to collaborating with these organisations to build knowledge and evidence to help us understand how the increasingly busy marine environment can continue to thrive and support the wide variety of ecosystems and industries which rely on it.”
Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Kwasi Kwarteng, has backed the round four leasing plan, described as marking a significant moment in the UK’s response to climate change. He said: “This month saw the price of offshore wind fall to record lows and today’s announcement will take us another step closer to increasing current levels of capacity almost five-fold by 2030.
“We are already a world leader in offshore wind and these new sites will help secure more clean, affordable, homegrown power for millions of households across the country, while reducing their reliance on costly fossil fuels.”
April saw all pass habitat assessments. Detailed planning for development consent orders will follow, ahead of subsidy auction entries and final investment decisions from the companies behind them.
Welsh Government Minister for Climate Change, Julie James MS, said: “As the first country in the world to declare a climate emergency, we welcome our partnership with The Crown Estate to deliver renewable energy projects here in Wales.
“We want to harness the power of our natural resources to benefit our communities, through projects that invest in local supply chains and green, skilled jobs.”
Kat Route-Stephens, offshore wind strategic compensation programme manager for the Offshore Wind Industry Council said: "Today’s announcement represents a recognition by Government of the fact that the offshore wind industry is working closely with a wide range of partners, including other sea users and wildlife organisations, to strengthen not only our nation’s energy security, but also the ways in which we protect the rich biodiversity in UK waters while we build out new projects.
"The Offshore Wind Industry Council is leading the way on researching and developing measures to ensure that marine life thrives alongside much-needed new renewable energy capacity.
"The 8GW moving forward in this leasing round represent more than three-quarters of our current offshore wind capacity, taking the UK a significant step closer to net zero."
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