Bidding Starts on UK Offshore Wind Seabed Rights

UK seabed manager The Crown Estate has launched the third and final stage in the tender process to award up to 8.5 GW of new offshore wind projects.

The Offshore Wind Leasing Round 4 has now entered the multi-cycle bidding process under Invitation to Tender (ITT) Stage 2.

Once all bidding cycles have concluded, The Crown Estate will share the details of the outcome, including the identity of successful bidders, and the location and capacity of their proposed projects.

At this stage, using option fees bid by eligible bidders to determine the award, one project is awarded per daily bidding cycle, with bidding cycles continuing until the 7 GW minimum capacity limit has been awarded or exceeded.

The Crown Estate expects to enter into a Wind Farm Agreement for Lease with successful bidders in Spring 2022, subject to the outcome of the Plan-Level Habitats Regulations Assessment which is expected to run from Spring 2021 to Spring 2022.

The four available seabed bidding areas for Leasing Round 4 are Dogger Bank, Eastern Regions, South East, and Northern Wales & Irish Sea.