UK
Ireland
Scotland
London
Construction News
06/06/2008
Round 3 Of Offshore Windfarm Development Launched
The Crown Estate has launched its round 3 leasing programme for the delivery of up to 25 gigawatts (GW) of new offshore windfarm sites by 2020.
The announcement was made at the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) conference in central London.
The programme for round 3 is expected to accelerate delivery of offshore windfarms projects, combining the development experience of the offshore wind industry with the benefits of The Crown Estate's knowledge and management experience of the UK's coasts and seas.
The Crown Estate will in due course be inviting potential partners to bid for development zones; identified through both spatial planning by The Crown Estate and the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) being undertaken by BERR. Successful bidders will have exclusive rights to develop windfarms in specified zones.
The Crown Estate is planning to co-invest up to 50% of the cost of obtaining planning consents for windfarm sites, including the funding of enabling works intended to speed up windfarm delivery. This may include action to address generic, zone-wide environmental concerns, consenting bottlenecks, supply chain constraints and options for connecting new windfarms to the national grid.
The selected partners will remain wholly responsible for construction and operation of windfarm sites. The Crown Estate is not intending to take any role in the eventual ownership or operation of offshore windfarms resulting from this programme other than to provide leases of the seabed to operators.
Malcolm Wicks, Minister of State for Energy, said: "The expansion of wind energy is already a real success story for the UK. We will shortly become the leading country in the world in terms of the number of windfarms operating offshore. The potential for round 3 will add to that success.
"Last year we announced the commencement of a SEA for offshore wind development. The scoping consultation phase is complete and a summary of the responses has been published today. We are on course with this work and expect to be able to make decisions early in 2009 regarding the conclusions of our assessment for up to 25 GW of offshore wind.
"Government is aware of the costs and supply challenges facing the industry. It's hoped The Crown Estate's investment and leasing programme for round 3 will provide developers with confidence to make investments much earlier on, like signing grid connection agreements or ordering turbines."
(CD/JM)
The announcement was made at the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) conference in central London.
The programme for round 3 is expected to accelerate delivery of offshore windfarms projects, combining the development experience of the offshore wind industry with the benefits of The Crown Estate's knowledge and management experience of the UK's coasts and seas.
The Crown Estate will in due course be inviting potential partners to bid for development zones; identified through both spatial planning by The Crown Estate and the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) being undertaken by BERR. Successful bidders will have exclusive rights to develop windfarms in specified zones.
-- Advertisement --
The Crown Estate is planning to co-invest up to 50% of the cost of obtaining planning consents for windfarm sites, including the funding of enabling works intended to speed up windfarm delivery. This may include action to address generic, zone-wide environmental concerns, consenting bottlenecks, supply chain constraints and options for connecting new windfarms to the national grid.
The selected partners will remain wholly responsible for construction and operation of windfarm sites. The Crown Estate is not intending to take any role in the eventual ownership or operation of offshore windfarms resulting from this programme other than to provide leases of the seabed to operators.
Malcolm Wicks, Minister of State for Energy, said: "The expansion of wind energy is already a real success story for the UK. We will shortly become the leading country in the world in terms of the number of windfarms operating offshore. The potential for round 3 will add to that success.
"Last year we announced the commencement of a SEA for offshore wind development. The scoping consultation phase is complete and a summary of the responses has been published today. We are on course with this work and expect to be able to make decisions early in 2009 regarding the conclusions of our assessment for up to 25 GW of offshore wind.
"Government is aware of the costs and supply challenges facing the industry. It's hoped The Crown Estate's investment and leasing programme for round 3 will provide developers with confidence to make investments much earlier on, like signing grid connection agreements or ordering turbines."
(CD/JM)
Latest Construction News
29/01/2025
Caddick Construction has been awarded a £43 million contract to deliver the first phase of Cole Waterhouse's flagship regeneration scheme in Digbeth, Birmingham.
The project, known as Upper Trinity Street, marks a significant step in the area’s transformation.
Spanning 182,986 square feet, the re
29/01/2025
McLaren Construction has been appointed by O&H Properties to deliver the first phase of a £60 million Foster & Partners-designed development at the corner of New Bond Street and Grafton Street in London’s West End.
The seven-storey, 5,400 square metre prime retail and office scheme will feature ret
29/01/2025
GMI Construction Group has been awarded a contract to develop three high-specification warehouse units totalling over 175,000 square feet at Precedent Drive, Milton Keynes.
The £20 million project, commissioned by DV5 Last Mile Developments (UK) Ltd, a joint venture between Coltham and Delancey Re
29/01/2025
Plans for 106 sustainable new homes in Southville, a neighbourhood in South Bristol, have been approved as the city seeks to increase housing delivery to address growing demand.
Top 10 award-winning housebuilder The Hill Group will create a £60 million development on Raleigh Road, on land that was
29/01/2025
Bouygues UK has reached a major milestone in the fourth phase of the Hallsville Quarter regeneration project in Canning Town, London.
The project, part of the £3.7 billion Canning Town and Custom House Regeneration Programme, recently held a topping out ceremony, marking the completion of the 11-s
29/01/2025
Willmott Dixon Interiors is carrying out a significant upgrade to the roof of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, one of London's most iconic cultural landmarks.
As part of the £12 million project, the company is installing over 23,000 square feet of sun-protected glazing above the museum’s
29/01/2025
Equans has been appointed by Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils to carry out crucial decarbonisation work across the councils' housing stock, using funding secured through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF).
The councils used the South East Consortium's Zero Carbon Framework to s
29/01/2025
In the world of construction, the quest for energy efficiency and sustainability is ever-evolving. Among the array of solutions available, EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) insulation stands out as a versatile and effective option for enhancing the thermal performance of buildings, particularly when used f
29/01/2025
BCP Council has completed significant coastal protection works at Hamworthy Park, ensuring its resilience against erosion for the next 20 years.
A 200-metre stretch of sea wall along the eastern promenade has been reinforced using low-carbon concrete, while new steps have been constructed to improv
29/01/2025
Geo-environmental consultancy and remediation contractor, The LK Group, has strengthened its team with a trio of recruits.
The multidisciplinary company's latest raft of hires comprises a new director, associate director and remediation manager.
The geo-environmental specialist, headquartered i
