Floating Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5

Celtic Sea Floating Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5 is an exciting opportunity to write a new chapter in the global offshore wind story, sitting in one of the world’s largest and most successful markets, underpinned by the UK’s generations of expertise, and with access to some of the best natural resources.

Over the last 25 years, offshore wind has established itself as the cornerstone of the UK’s move towards a more sustainable future, and is on track to meet the electricity needs of almost half of all UK homes in 2023.

As the deployment of offshore renewable energy accelerates around the world, floating wind farms are expected to play an increasingly significant role in the global energy mix, with the ability to be anchored in deeper waters than familiar fixed-base turbines. This means that new areas of the seabed can be used for the generation of renewable energy, where wind patterns are stronger and more reliable. The UK is well-placed to take advantage of this exciting new technology, with generations of expertise and experience in the energy market and – more recently – its leading role in offshore renewables.

Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5 seeks to establish a new floating wind sector in the Celtic Sea off the coasts of South Wales and South West England. It is expected to be the first phase of commercial development in the Celtic Sea, bringing an exciting opportunity to create up to 4.5GW of new renewable energy capacity, while acting as a springboard for new social, economic and environmental opportunities. In its Autumn Statement in November 2023, the UK Government confirmed its intention to unlock space for a further 12GW of capacity in the Celtic Sea.

In December 2023, we published an Information Memorandum, outlining details of the Round 5 opportunity. This was followed in January 2024 by a Bidders Day in Swansea for prospective Bidders to find out more about the Round 5 tender and ask questions of our senior representatives. Further information about the day, including a recording of the event, is available on the Bidders Day page of our website.

On 28 February 2024, a Concession Notice confirming the launch of the Round 5 tender process was published on the UK Government Find a Tender portal. This can be accessed here. 

Any potential bidders wishing to contact The Crown Estate about Round 5 should do so via the dedicated eTendering portal. Details on how to access this can be found here.

All other Round 5 enquires not related to the tender process should be emailed here.

Latest updates

13 February, 2024 - The Crown Estate has concluded the plan-level HRA for Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5.  The Record of HRA (Appropriate Assessment) can be found in the document library for Round 5, all documents produced as part of the HRA process can be found on the Marine Data Exchange here, and the RIAA (including Addendum) is available in digital format here. 

22 February 2024 - We have published a set of frequently asked questions for potential Round 5 bidders. This can be found in the Document Library.

28 February 2024 - A Concession Notice confirming the launch of the Round 5 tender process was published on the UK Government Find a Tender portal. This can be accessed here.

The Round 5 opportunity

Round 5 is defined by five objectives, which seek to deliver a compelling opportunity for developers and their supply chains, whilst setting the conditions for the sustainable development of a substantial new market opportunity for floating wind in the region.

*Data from: “Celtic Sea Blueprint”, a report for The Crown Estate by Lumen Energy & Environment, 2024