The Crown Estate has increased the size of its upcoming Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5 to 4500MW.
The body has defined areas for floating offshore wind developments off the coast of Wales and Southwest England as part of revised plans for the round following engagement with developers and wider stakeholders.
Under the revised plan, the Crown Estate will offer three Project Development Areas (PDAs) of up to 1500MW each, down from four roughly 1000MW sites previously suggested.
In addition, no bidder will be able to secure an agreement to lease more than one PDA.
Alongside information on the location and size of the new windfarms, the Crown Estate stated that the latest stage of the marine surveys programme started on 24th September, with comprehensive technical specifications for the whole programme of surveys to be published later this month.
An Information Memorandum is expected to be published before the end of this year ahead of the formal start of the leasing round.
Gus Jaspert, Managing Director Marine at the Crown Estate, said: “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. We will continue to work closely with governments, industry partners and our full range of stakeholders to drive the partnerships needed to truly realise the full potential of floating wind in the Celtic Sea.”