Scotland’s new leasing round for offshore wind projects is likely to fully launch in October 2019, Crown Estate Scotland, the public body responsible for leasing Scotland’s seabed, has announced. It will be at that point that applications for developments can start to be received.
There will also be a ‘pre-launch’ in the summer which will provide further details about the leasing and ensure that the people and organisations involved have the information they need ahead of the final launch.
This aligns with previous commitments to ensure that ScotWind leasing is launched in 2019.
In addition to a target launch date, Crown Estate Scotland has today (Monday 29 April) provided further information outlining the proposed process and timelines to help developers and communities gain a fuller understanding of the next steps.
The final timings of the leasing are directly linked to the development of Marine Scotland’s Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind.
John Robertson, Senior Development Manager for Crown Estate Scotland, said: “Scotland has the potential to be a major focus for offshore wind activity in the coming years. This can bring with it the development of a world class supply chain and an economic boost for communities across the country, in addition to providing an ideal route to help us further decarbonise our economy and meet our climate change targets.
“We want to provide clarity around our leasing proposals. We’ll continue to liaise closely with the industry and others in the coming months, and we’ll confirm the exact launch date in due course,” he added.