Julia Rose, Head of Offshore Wind at The Crown Estate.

The Crown Estate manages the seabed and much of the coastline across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. As an independent commercial entity, all its net revenue profit is returned to the UK Treasury, contributing £4 billion over the past decade.

For more than 20 years, the UK has strengthened its position as a global leader in offshore wind, ranking as the second-largest market worldwide, just behind China. “The sector has evolved continuously, and today, we have an integrated system that requires strategic cooperation between government, regulatory bodies, and private industry,” explains Julia Rose, Head of Offshore Wind at The Crown Estate, to Strategic Energy Europe.

One of the key factors behind this success is the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme, which has provided long-term revenue security, making the UK an attractive market for investors. “CfD has played a fundamental role in ensuring predictable revenues, attracting investment, and enabling steady growth in installed capacity,” Rose emphasises.

Challenges and Opportunities in Floating Offshore Wind

Floating offshore wind represents one of the biggest opportunities in the UK’s clean energy transition. The Crown Estate is leading the development of a new floating wind sector in the Celtic Sea, where Leasing Round 5 aims to allocate up to 4.5 GW of floating wind capacity in the coming years. “This is a huge opportunity for Wales and South West England. We estimate that this leasing round alone could create over 5,000 construction jobs and generate an economic impact of £1.4 billion for the UK economy,” Rose highlights.

Unlike fixed-bottom wind turbines, floating wind presents technological and logistical challenges. “Floating structures can be as large as a football pitch, requiring major port infrastructure upgrades and supply chain improvements,” Rose points out.

To address these challenges, The Crown Estate has implemented a strategy based on:

• Carrying out some important processes, such as a plan-level Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) ahead of the tender to speed up the process 
• Collaboration with the National Energy Systems Operator, making Leasing Round 5 the first to come to market with an agreed plan for grid connection already in place 
• Flexible leasing design, allowing developers to phase project deployment.

Additionally, Rose highlights the importance of annual allocation rounds through the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme, ensuring policies remain adaptable and attractive to investors. “We must continually review and refine our policies to keep them relevant and aligned with industry needs,” she adds.

The Impact of the Leasing Strategy and Supply Chain Development

The Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme has been crucial in securing investment confidence in offshore wind. “The UK’s CfD system has given investors the certainty they need, enabling us to remain a global leader in the sector,” explains Rose.

However, scaling the market requires strengthening the supply chain. The Crown Estate has allocated £50 million for its Supply Chain Accelerator Programme, which supports early-stage and innovative projects. “This programme is designed to boost advancements in floating structures, anchoring systems, and installation platforms, amongst other areas”, Rose details.

To further drive industry growth, The Crown Estate collaborated with Renewable UK, Crown Estate Scotland, and the Offshore Wind Industry Council to develop the Offshore Wind Industrial Growth Plan, identifying five priority areas for technological leadership:

1. Advanced turbine technology
2. Industrialised floating foundations
3. Electrical systems and subsea cables
4. Environmental services
5. Next-generation installation and maintenance technologies

Moreover, employment in the sector is expected to grow from 30,000 to up to 100,000 jobs by 2030. To support this effort, The Crown Estate is working with the government and educational institutions to develop skills and workforce training programmes, such as its partnership with Falmouth Marine School to launch a Pre-16 Engineering programme.

Towards a Sustainable Future for Marine Resource Management

Offshore wind expansion must balance energy development with environmental conservation. “Our approach focuses on long-term strategic planning to ensure offshore wind development is compatible with marine biodiversity protection,” Rose stresses.

To achieve this, The Crown Estate has introduced the Marine Delivery Routemap, a long-term strategy that optimises sector coexistence on the seabed. “This forward-looking approach helps us anticipate future needs, minimise deployment risks, and ensure orderly industry growth,” she adds.

Another key aspect is reforming planning and permitting processes to reduce delays without compromising environmental protection. “While we need to accelerate approvals, we must also ensure that marine infrastructure, such as offshore wind, carbon storage and cables, is developed in a way that protects and enhances marine ecosystems,” Rose notes.

A Growing Market with a Long-Term Vision

With an integrated strategy that includes investment, sustainable planning, and collaboration, The Crown Estate is positioning the UK as a global leader in offshore wind. The expansion of floating wind in the Celtic Sea is not only a key step towards the UK’s clean energy transition, but it will also generate employment, drive technological advancements, and boost economic growth.

“We are on a strong trajectory, and if we continue evolving alongside government, industry, and local communities, the UK can remain a world leader in offshore wind,” Rose concludes.