The Crown Estate has announced a new process ahead of an intended official launch of a new leasing round, Offshore Wind Leasing Round 6, in the first half of 2027.

The Crown Estate believes this next leasing round could accommodate a capacity of around 6GW or more, predominantly in the North East of England and in water depths suitable for fixed-bottom wind, subject to stakeholder engagement and taking into account Neso’s strategic plans for energy and for electricity networks.

The Crown Estate expects the majority of sites to be off the coast of the North East of England, but further areas of seabed opportunity have been identified across the South West, Wales and other regions which may form the basis of subsequent leasing rounds through The Crown Estate’s new seabed management tool, the Marine Delivery Routemap.

The Crown Estate will now engage further with stakeholders across a range of sectors, including nature and offshore wind, to refine exact size and locations of the sites, as well as the best approach for the tender process, including the commercial model, to make sure its design meets the needs of the market and UK.

The Crown Estate is also seeking market views on a range of commercial approaches to this leasing round to understand the potential viability and market appetite.

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