Image description: The sea surface in the foreground, extending toward a lone wind turbine against a grey sky.

The Crown Estate has confirmed it will proceed with its capacity increase programme to maximise the potential of existing seabed leases at seven UK wind farms, potentially generating enough energy to power up to four million homes and create economic growth for the UK.

The move rubber stamps earlier requests made by developers awarded rights in either the Crown Estate’s offshore leasing Round 3 or 2017 Extensions round.

The announcement officially raises the total capacity at the projects by an additional 4.7GW and confirms nameplate ratings at arrays including RWE’s 1.1GW Awel y Mor off Wales and 1.2GW Rampion 2 off south England, plus Equinor’s 719MW Sheringham Shoal and Dudgeon extensions off Norfolk.

The Crown Estate said the decision supports the government’s target of deploying up to 50GW total installed capacity in UK waters by 2030.

Clean Industry Bonus more than doubled:

Secretary Ed Miliband, heading the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, said in contrast to Ørsted’s U-turn on the Hornsea 4 project, the government continues to receive strong interest for the development of offshore wind energy projects. Miliband said hundreds of bids have been received in the latest government scheme, a “strong signal that industry supports the government’s clean power by 2030 mission.”

Following higher than expected demand, the Energy Secretary said the government was going to increase funding in its Clean Industry Bonus program from the planned £200 million ($266 million) to £544 million ($724 million). This announcement follows the Prime Minister’s £300 million announcement to support offshore wind supply chains, building Britain’s clean energy future through Plan for Change. The application window for the Clean Industry Bonus is now closed, with the winners expected to be announced after the final budget in May.