UK Approves 8 GW Offshore Wind Energy Projects Development

In a quest to decarbonize the power industry of the United Kingdom, six fixed offshore wind projects, with a potential to generate renewable electricity for more than 7 million homes, have been given the green signal by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. This will facilitate the UK Government to enter into an agreement for lease with The Crown Estate.

In April of this year, The Crown Estate gave a notice to the UK and Welsh Governments of its intent to proceed with the Offshore Wind Leasing Round 4 plan basis a ‘derogation.’

The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has given a go-ahead to The Crown Estate with regards to the offshore wind energy plan. The Welsh Government has not raised objections to the notice.

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As per the government, The Crown Estate has been supporting the development of an offshore wind market. This segment is the largest source of renewable electricity in the UK.

In early July, The Crown Estate had revealed its target to establish floating offshore wind farms in the Celtic Sea. This could add up to 4 GW of capacity.

Dan Labbad, CEO 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.”

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He also added, “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.”

“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,” he further stated.

Kwasi Kwarteng, Business and Energy Secretary, notified about the offshore wind projects, “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.”

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The Secretary said that the “UK is 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.”

Welsh Government Minister for Climate Change, Julie James MS, stated, “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.”

A New Approach

The derogation process aids the progress of renewable energy projects if the appropriate tests are met, while also ensuring the identified environmental impacts are fully offset through environmental compensatory measures.

Taking cognizance of this, The Crown Estate has put in place a new strategic approach to the Habitats Regulations Assessment, convening key bodies to work through these challenges while also balancing environmental considerations with the urgent need to accelerate offshore renewable development, said the UK government.