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Round 2: Offshore Wind Farm Leasing

Building on the success of Round 1, in July 2003 the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry asked the Crown Estate (CE) to invite developers to bid for site option agreements in the second offshore wind farm round. Arrangements for Round 2 were designed to facilitate development in three strategic areas in territorial waters and in the Renewable Energy Zone on a much more ambitious scale than in the first round in 2001.

Bids for site options were assessed against a range of criteria, including financial standing, offshore development expertise and wind turbine expertise, and against the constraints set by the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). On 18 December 2003, the CE offered 12 companies/consortia options for 15 site Agreements for Lease spread across each of the three strategic areas.

Developers were strongly advised to take into account the advice given in the SEA Environmental Report, including the possible impact on fishing, navigation and other users of the sea. They were also informed of the need for consents from the relevant statutory consenting authorities before these projects could proceed.

Details on the Round 2 applicants are available from the Crown Estate (CE) website..

For information on offshore wind farms under construction and those generating electricity for the grid network, please visit the British Wind Energy Association website .