Wednesday 5 July 2023

Crown Estate unveils changes for Celtic Sea lease round

The Crown Estate has outlined its plans for the upcoming leasing round of floating offshore wind farms in the Celtic Sea, specifically off the Welsh and South West coasts.

One requirement for developers bidding on these projects is to recognise the crucial role of ports in the assembly and deployment of turbines.

The integration ports, which need to be in relative proximity to the project sites, will play a key role in manufacturing, storage, foundation assembly, cabling and turbine placement.

Additionally, the developers will need to demonstrate how their proposed developments can create lasting social and environmental value.

The Crown Estate aims to promote transparency and fairness in the bidding process by introducing changes to the auction design.

Instead of the traditional method of submitting a best and final offer, a "rising clock" auction will be implemented, allowing developers to monitor pricing movements during different rounds and providing greater transparency.