The Crown Estate has confirmed plans to launch a Round 6 offshore wind lease auction in the first half of 2027.
The tender will bring around 6GW to market, as first revealed in last week’s subscriber-only edition of reNEWS.
Plots will be located predominantly off north-east England in water depths suitable for fixed-bottom wind.
The plans are subject to discussions with stakeholders and taking into account the National Energy System Operator’s strategic plans for energy and electricity networks.
Crown Estate has begun a programme of market engagement to flesh out further details of the leasing round, to seek views on a range of commercial approaches and to “understand the potential viability and market appetite”.
Energy minister Michael Shanks will today (26 March) visit the Port of Blyth in Northumberland with regional leaders and local businesses to discuss the potential of wind farm deployment for the region.
The Crown Estate Chief Executive Dan Labbad said: “The UK leads the world in offshore wind and we should celebrate this national success story. A new leasing round centred in the North East could create billions of pounds in value for the UK economy, generating more jobs and lower cost energy for communities and businesses.
“We’re excited to be working with national and regional partners to turn the UK’s offshore wind leadership into the next decade of jobs, investment and energy security.”
UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband added: “I know the conflict in the Middle East is worrying for families across the North East because when global prices spike, people feel concerned about what the future holds.
“By building more clean, homegrown power here in Britain and backing places like Blyth, where offshore wind first took off in the UK, we can show how the country can learn the lessons from the war in Iran and cut our dependence on fossil fuels and protect people from future shocks.”
RenewableUK also welcomed the announcement and the economic boost it could provide to communities in north-east England including Blyth, Newcastle and Sunderland.
RUK Deputy Chief Executive Jane Cooper said: “Current events in the Middle East show just how important it is to base our future energy system on homegrown power generated in UK waters.
“The North Sea has become an offshore wind powerhouse, strengthening our energy security, controlling the cost of energy and moving us towards energy independence.
“This new leasing round for projects off the north east coast of England will open up a significant amount of new capacity to the UK’s energy system – enough to power more than six million homes.”