ScotWind offshore wind leasing round kicks off

Crown Estate Scotland has launched the ScotWind seabed leasing round for offshore wind projects.

Investors and developers can now register interest in obtaining an option agreement with Crown Estate Scotland, which can then lead to the signing of leases for areas to be outlined as suitable in the Scottish Government’s Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy.  

As part of any lease application, developers will have to submit a Supply Chain Development Statement, outlining how they plan to engage with and utilize supply chain to successfully develop their projects.

This will include information on the geographical location of supply chain activity and evidence relating to how the plan can be fulfilled.

According to Crown Estate Scotland, total investment in ScotWind leasing projects could potentially surpass GBP 8 billion, and more than 6 million tons of CO2 could be saved per year.

“The launch of ScotWind – the first offshore wind leasing round to be administered in Scotland – is a very important milestone for Crown Estate Scotland and Scottish Ministers, but also marks another pivotal moment for the development of our offshore wind sector and also presents an opportunity to help develop our strategic economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Scotland’s Energy Minister, Paul Wheelhouse.

“Our seas are host to some of the best offshore wind resources in the world, supporting the continuing growth and expansion of the sector. We want to harness this huge resource for our energy system, unlocking significant investment in the supply chain to create more green jobs across the sector and, importantly, to do so in a way that gives due regard to our marine environment and other marine activities.”