Seven UK offshore wind extension projects totalling 2.8GW will progress to the award of seabed rights by the Crown Estate after the seabed landlord completed a plan-level Habitats Regulations Assessment.
On the east coast, applications for second phases of up to 317MW at Sheringham Shoal, 402MW at Dudgeon, 504MW at Greater Gabbard, 353MW at Galloper and 300MW at Thanet wind farms have all been cleared.
Off the north-west coast an extension to the 576MW Gwynt y Mor and an extension to the 400MW Rampion in the channel has also been given the green light to proceed.
However, Orsted’s application to extend its 504MW Race Bank off Lincolnshire will not be allowed to advance.
“The majority of the site for this proposed extension sits within the Inner Dowsing, Race Bank and North Ridge Special Area of Conservation (SAC),” the Crown Estate said.
“Based on the best available evidence, the plan level HRA determined that it would not be possible to rule out an adverse effect on the integrity of the SAC,” the Crown Estate said.
Therefore the Race Bank extension project will not progress to the award of leasing rights as part of the 2017 extensions round, it added.
The Crown said that in “such a scenario, there is an option to consider pursuing a derogation case under the Habitats Regulations.
“As a first for the offshore wind sector, this would be a significant undertaking, in conjunction with a broad range of stakeholders, and would cause a delay to the award of rights for the seven other proposed extension projects.
“The Crown Estate has therefore taken the decision not to pursue this route at this time.”
The seabed landlord said it will work with the developer of the Race Bank extension and with stakeholders to consider the future of the project.
Crown Estate head of energy development Will Apps said the extension projects will help grow the UK’s offshore wind portfolio by 10% and that the round shows strong demand for new sites off England and Wales.
“In today’s increasingly busy sea-space, a collaborative approach will become all the more crucial, ensuring that the continued ambitious growth of offshore wind happens in balance with the wide range of other interests offshore,” he said.
The Crown Estate said it will build on the HRA work for the Round 3 extensions to inform future developments in UK waters including leasing Round 4, which will launch later this year.
A map of the proposed sites can be found here.