The Crown Estate has pushed back the award of Round 4 offshore wind leases to spring 2022, following delays this year to the bidding process.
The seabed landlord said a second stage evaluation of projects, originally expected last month, will not now kick off until November with a multi-cycle bidding process delayed to “early 2021”.
CE had initially planned to award agreements for lease after these steps in 2021 following a nine to 12-month plan-level Habitats Regulations Assessment.
However, the agency said it “now expect(s) that this could take place in spring 2022, subject to the outcome of the HRA”.
CE added it is nearing the conclusion of a delayed ITT Stage one phase, which is examining the financial and technical robustness of proposed offshore wind projects submitted by already pre-qualified bidders.
“The Crown Estate has extended the time taken to complete this stage, in order to clarify requirements with bidders. This process has been important in ensuring a fair and robust assessment and will assist with the smooth delivery of ITT Stage 2.”
This ITT Stage 2 timeframe will extend the preparation time for bidders and avoid bidding cycles potentially coinciding with the Christmas period, CE said.
Business development manager Jonny Boston said: “Today’s announcement updates our intended timeline for the final stretch of our tender, ensuring we can maintain a fair, robust and transparent process.
“With Round 4’s continued progress, the UK offshore wind portfolio is poised to play a critical role in unlocking our national net zero ambition, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with bidders and stakeholders through the next stage.”
This is the second time this year that The Crown Estate has changed the Round 4 timetable.
In March, it announced an extension to the ITT Stage 1 process from seven to 10 weeks as a result of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.