Energy

UK waters offer world-class natural resources for the delivery of renewable energy.

As manager of the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, we work alongside industry and stakeholders to unlock its potential. We award seabed rights, incentivise innovation, build evidence and share data to support the responsible and sustainable development of Offshore Wind, Wave and Tidal and Carbon Capture Usage and Storage (CCUS) opportunities. On this page you will find links to further information about our work in each of these areas.

Offshore wind

We play a fundamental role in supporting the UK’s world-leading offshore wind industry by identifying and leasing suitable seabed sites for development, as well as working with partners to build evidence, share data and support innovation to enable the responsible growth of the sector. Find out more through the links below.

Overview of UK offshore wind portfolio

From zero capacity at the turn of the millennium, the UK is now home to the largest operating offshore wind sector in the world. In 2019 UK offshore wind generated enough electricity to supply around 30% of UK homes, and new leasing in the form of 2017 Extensions and Round 4 should take the capacity of the UK pipeline to more than 40 GW. Find out more about the UK offshore wind portfolio using the links in this section, which includes a live map of UK offshore windfarms and the share of UK electricity currently being generated by offshore wind at any given time.

Offshore wind development pipeline

We support the development and strengthening of the UK’s offshore wind pipeline by making new areas of the seabed available for development, awarding rights for extensions to existing projects, and by facilitating test and demonstration opportunities for innovative technologies. Find out more about our current offshore wind leasing opportunities here.

Enabling sustained, responsible growth

We work closely with the industry and stakeholders to support and enable the responsible and coordinated growth of UK offshore wind, balancing future energy needs with the wide range of interests in the marine environment.  Find out more about our approach, here.

Carbon Capture Usage and Storage

Carbon Capture Usage and Storage (CCUS) is recognised as having an important role to play in helping the UK to meet its climate change target of net zero emissions by 2050.

We work closely with interested developers, with the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA), and with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), to review and assess options for the licensing and leasing of offshore transport and storage opportunities.

We are able to grant seabed rights to developers for CO2 storage beneath the seabed in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; within the Exclusive Economic Zone.

Any rights from The Crown Estate are conditional on the Oil and Gas Authority (regulator for carbon dioxide transport and storage) granting an offshore CO2 storage licence to the applicant.

Wave, tidal current and tidal range

We have awarded seabed rights for a number of test and demonstration sites for wave and tidal current energy, enabling developers to install technologies ranging from small-scale prototypes to demonstration zones, in a variety of site conditions. We also offer opportunity to access seabed for wave projects of up to 3 MW, or tidal current projects of up to 30 MW, and work with industry and partners to explore the potential to develop the UK's tidal range resources.