03 Feb 2026
Photo by Waldemar Brandt The Scottish Government has published an updated Offshore Wind Policy Statement, raising its offshore wind ambition to up to 40 GW of new capacity by 2040, in addition to already operational or consented projects. The policy update, published on 28 January 2026, reaffirms Scotland’s commitment to delivering its existing project […]
20 Jan 2026
Photo by Nicholas Doherty The UK has secured a record 8.4 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity in Europe’s largest ever offshore wind auction, with contracts awarded at prices 40% cheaper than building new gas power plants. The seventh allocation round (AR7) awarded 8.2 GW of bottom-fixed offshore wind and almost 200 MW of floating offshore wind […]
04 Nov 2025
Photo by Pete Godfrey The UK government’s announcement of a £1.08 billion budget for Allocation Round 7 (AR7) of its Contracts for Difference scheme has prompted widespread disappointment across the offshore wind industry, with major trade bodies warning the allocation could severely restrict sector growth and jeopardise the nation’s ambitious 2030 clean energy targets. Budget allocation […]
16 Sep 2025
Photo by Vincent Guth Ireland has unveiled a National Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP) to guide the country’s offshore wind development, mapping out suitable zones for fixed-bottom, floating, and floating demonstration projects. The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications said the framework is designed to give “greater certainty for developers and marine users,” helping the […]
20 Aug 2024
The Crown Estate has advanced to a key phase in its Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5, aiming to develop floating wind farms in the Celtic Sea, off South Wales and South West England. This initiative, first unveiled in December 2023, could generate up to 4.5 gigawatts of renewable energy, sufficient to power over 4 million […]
11 Jun 2024
Plans to establish a new generation of floating offshore wind farms off the coast of South West England and South Wales have taken a step forward with the conclusion of one of the opening stages of the tender process for Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5. Developers wishing to bid for one of three Project Development […]
26 Mar 2024
Speaking at a port in North Wales, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has announced that Great British Energy, a publicly-owned company, will fund the construction of floating offshore wind farms. Labour has pledged to decarbonise the UK by 2030, while the Conservatives target 2035 for net zero energy supply. The Tories said Labour’s plan was […]
27 Feb 2024
Up to 5,300 new jobs and up to £1.4 billion could be generated for the UK economy via opportunities arising from the development of new floating wind farms off the coast of South Wales and the South West England, according to new research commissioned by The Crown Estate. The independent study, The Celtic Sea Blueprint, conducted […]
