Offshore wind industry welcomes new North Sea leasing round to boost UK energy security and create job opportunities

Commenting on The Crown Estate’s announcement that it will launch a new leasing round for offshore wind projects next year (Leasing Round 6), which will aim to secure around 6 gigawatts of new renewable energy capacity in the North Sea, Adam Morrison, Industry Co-Chair of the Offshore Wind Industry Council and Ocean Winds UK Country Manager said:

“OWIC is delighted to see The Crown Estate bring forward plans for Leasing Round 6. This provides an opportunity to add further strength and visibility to our existing, high-quality development pipeline in the UK. It is particularly well-timed as we see another wave of projects secure contracts in AR7 and AR8 this year and progress towards realisation.

“In addition to the secure, clean energy that is enabled, these leasing rounds also create enormous economic opportunity and showcase what offshore wind can deliver at a regional level around the country.

“We look forward to working with The Crown Estate and other key stakeholders as the round progresses, with a view to unlocking that opportunity and building on the success story that offshore wind represents in the UK.”