Factor in network needs when drawing up offshore leases

Transmission network needs should be taken into account when future offshore wind seabed leasing rounds are being developed, a government review has recommended.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has published the response to its recent consultation on the future framework of the offshore transmission network.

It says the outcomes of previous Crown Estate leasing rounds fed into the Holistic Network Design exercise, published by the National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) last year, which was designed to provide a more co-ordinated approach’ to developing this network.

However the report says the government wants this approach to evolve so that network considerations can inform the planning of where offshore wind farms are located.

“This could ensure that, once deployment areas are chosen, there is sufficient time to plan networks in advance and address any constraints in time for projects’ connections,” the report states

The review says that although the UK has the greatest offshore wind resource in Europe, seafloor capacity is finite and there are increasing pressures on the marine environment.

With scenarios suggesting that the UK could need more than 100GW of offshore by 2050, the use of this resource will need to be planned appropriately to maximise its value and reduce impacts on the environment and communities.

The document says the approach proposed in the framework should enable a more strategic approach to seabed leasing than currently exists.

It says the close work between the Crown Estate and the ESO on its Celtic Sea floating offshore wind programme has reinforced the interdependency between offshore wind leasing and the design of the transmission network.

The report also recommends that environmental assessments should be considered before areas of the seabed have been designated for leasing, much earlier in the process than is currently the case.

And the review says DESNZ will work with the UK’s devolved administrations to consider options for setting a clear long-term view of the volume of offshore wind and interconnectors, including options for where this responsibility may lie in future.

The report on the offshore transmission network has been published alongside the latest DUKES (Digest of UK Energy Statistics), which shows that last year renewable energy provided 41.5% of all electricity generation – the second highest annual share of output ever recorded. Total wind generation rose by 24% to 80.3TWh. This increase resulted from a nearly 24% increase in offshore capacity and a rebound from the relatively low wind speeds seen in 2021.

The figures also show record high imports in 2022 of liquified natural gas, which rose by 74% from the previous year as the UK’s pipelines and terminals were used to support European efforts to shift away from Russian supplies.