Crown Estate Scotland today (21 May) unveiled its proposals for leasing seabed for new offshore wind projects that would be built in Scotland’s waters from late 2020s onwards.
The authority published a discussion document , outlining a draft leasing process and asking for feedback to help shape the final approach, which is planned to be agreed upon and launched in late 2018 or early 2019. Crown Estate Scotland said it aims to have set up the process in a way it supports supply chain development and sector innovation, creates jobs and stimulates economic growth.
Given that it can take five to ten years to develop and construct a new offshore wind project, Crown Estate Scotland said that work on ensuring new projects can continue being built in the late 2020s and onwards needs to start now.
New offshore wind projects will have to be sited in areas identified in Marine Scotland’s forthcoming Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind. Namely, Marine Scotland is working to identify potential option areas within which new offshore wind energy developments could take place and will, as a result, release a new Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind for Scottish Waters.
The new approach to offshore wind leasing in Scotland is said to support Scottish Government’s Energy Strategy’s goal of meeting 50% of energy consumption with renewable sources by 2030.
Roseanna Cunningham MSP , Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change & Land Reform, said: “The potential benefits of offshore renewable energy to Scotland are enormous. That is why it is important that Crown Estate Scotland makes available the right seabed locations at the right time, in order to contribute to delivery of our energy strategy, attract inward investment, develop new technology and continue to drive down the associated costs of offshore energy. I therefore encourage anyone with an interest to feedback to help shape Crown Estate Scotland’s contribution to our energy strategy.”
Scotland currently has two operational offshore wind projects: Robin Rigg and the world’s first floating wind farm Hywind Scotland . Two more are due to be up and running soon with construction underway on Beatrice and the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre .