Wedoany.com Report-May 9, The Crown Estate has approved a capacity increase program to enhance the potential of existing seabed leases at seven UK offshore wind farms. This decision builds on requests from developers granted rights in the Crown Estate’s Offshore Leasing Round 3 or the 2017 Extensions round, boosting the total capacity of these projects by an additional 4.7 gigawatts (GW).
The program includes confirmed capacity upgrades for several wind farms, such as RWE’s 1.1GW Awel y Mor off the coast of Wales, the 1.2GW Rampion 2 off southern England, and Equinor’s 719MW Sheringham Shoal and Dudgeon extensions off Norfolk. This expansion supports the UK’s goal of achieving up to 50GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030, contributing to cleaner energy production.
To evaluate the environmental impact, the Crown Estate conducted a Habitats Regulations Assessment to analyze the program’s effects on protected marine habitats and species. Following the assessment, the Crown Estate recommended proceeding with the capacity increases, supported by compensation measures to mitigate identified environmental impacts. This recommendation was approved by the Secretary of State for Energy & Net Zero, affirming the program’s alignment with national energy priorities.
Gus Jaspert, the Crown Estate’s marine managing director, stated: “Our purpose is to create lasting and shared prosperity for the nation. Offshore wind enables us to do that as a driver of economic growth through jobs creation and supply chain development. Delivering the Capacity Increase Programme is an effective way to provide up to four million homes with secure, clean energy and further decrease the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels, often sourced internationally.”
The capacity increase is expected to power approximately four million homes with renewable energy, supporting the UK’s efforts to decarbonize its electricity grid by 2035. The Crown Estate emphasized the importance of balancing energy development with environmental considerations, implementing measures to address marine ecosystem impacts. The organization’s Marine Delivery Routemap will guide future decisions to minimize environmental effects while advancing offshore wind projects.
This initiative highlights the Crown Estate’s commitment to sustainable energy development, fostering economic benefits through job creation and supply chain growth. By optimizing existing wind farm leases, the program strengthens the UK’s renewable energy infrastructure, ensuring a reliable supply of clean power to meet growing demand and support long-term environmental goals.
