Capacity Increase Programme

In 2023 we launched our Capacity Increase Programme to maximise the potential of existing offshore wind lease areas, potentially generating enough energy to power up to four million homes.

An additional 4.7GW of energy could be generated from the delivery of the programme by amending existing seabed rights to increase the capacity of seven fixed-bottom offshore windfarms located around England and Wales.

Following an extensive plan level Habitats Regulations Assessment across the seven areas of seabed already under agreement to offshore wind developers, The Crown Estate recommended to the Secretary of State for Energy & Net Zero that these projects be granted exception to proceed, on the basis of a derogation, with compensation measures to address the impact on marine habitats and species. This recommendation has been agreed by the Secretary of State.

The projects were awarded rights in either The Crown Estate’s Offshore Wind Leasing Round 3 or The Crown Estate’s 2017 Offshore Wind Extensions opportunity, the latter of which sought to unlock additional capacity in the UK offshore wind portfolio in an efficient way, by extending existing offshore wind farms. The projects included within the Capacity Increase Programme are:

• Awel y Môr

• Dudgeon Extension

• Sheringham Shoal Extension

• North Falls

• Five Estuaries

• Rampion 2

• Dogger Bank D