The United Kingdom’s Crown Estate has begun the design of a new leasing round for early commercial-scale floating wind projects in the Celtic Sea, according to S&P Global Platts.
The United Kingdom aims to have 1 gigawatt of floating offshore wind capacity installed in its waters by 2030. The technology promises greater yields from deeper water locations, with early demonstrator Hywind Scotland reporting a record high-capacity factor of 57 percent.
“There is appetite to develop projects that are around 300 megawatts in size, moving the sector onto an ‘early commercial’ phase, with a desire for a pipeline of opportunities that helps to continue to build market confidence,” said the Crown Estate in a statement.
“Floating offshore projects are going to be vital in ensuring we unlock the full potential of natural resources in the windiest parts around our coastline and ensure the U.K. remains a world leader in offshore wind,” added Anne-Marie Treve