Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to quick links
Skip to site search
Skip to footer navigation

Unless stated otherwise, all material on this website is the property of The Crown Estate. The material may be used, provided it is reproduced accurately and appropriate acknowledgement is given. You may not sell the information to a third party. By continuing on this website you are agreeing to our Terms of use.

We also use cookies on this website to enhance your user experience. By continuing on this website you are agreeing to the use of these cookies. For more information please read our Cookie policy.

Energy & Infrastructure

Offshore wind energy

As managers of the UK’s seabed out to the 12 nautical mile limit, we play a major role in the development of the offshore renewable energy industry.

More about working with us

Our activities

Pre-planning

Pre-planning includes survey work, impact assessment and stakeholder engagement, plus possibly zone appraisal and planning.

Planning

The planning stage of a project is the time between submission of an application for development consent, and the granting of these consents.

Consented

The consented phase of a project commences when a company is awarded all necessary consents to build the wind farm and ends when construction commences.

Construction

Construction of an offshore wind farm is the phase from the start of works until final commissioning, when turbines are brought into their working power-generating mode.

Operational

Once a project is fully constructed and commissioned, it enters its operational phase.

Strategic workstreams

We seek to ensure that the entire UK offshore wind industry can benefit from our long-term viewpoint, skilled team and our capacity to bring together many different organisations.

Read on

Offshore wind cost reduction pathways study

We produced a collaborative industry study demonstrating pathways which can reduce the levelised cost of energy related to offshore wind.

Read more

Wave and tidal

We also play a central role in facilitating the development of wave and tidal energy.

Learn more

3% Offshore wind already provides more than 3% of all electricity in the UK

Operational projects

350 The UK now has around 350 offshore wind turbines under construction

Construction projects

Research

Research of the marine environment plays a central part in our commitment to the marine activities we manage.

Research

Useful documents

Construction Vessel Guideline (PDF, 0.64 MB)
A guide to an offshore wind farm (PDF, 2.97 MB)
Offshore wind cost reduction pathways study (PDF, 3.29 MB)
Offshore wind operational report (PDF, 2.42 MB)
Round 3 zone appraisal and planning (PDF, 0.72 MB)
The Crown Estate role in offshore renewable energy (PDF, 0.16 MB)
Your career in offshore wind energy (PDF, 8.45 MB)

E&I Outlook series

E&I Outlook Cables and pipelines (PDF, 1.21 MB)
E&I Outlook CCS and natural gas (PDF, 1.16 MB)
E&I Outlook Marine minerals (PDF, 1.48 MB)
E&I Outlook Offshore wind (PDF, 1.84 MB)
E&I Outlook Wave and tidal (PDF, 4.14 MB)

Popular maps

All offshore activity (UK) (PDF, 1.51 MB)
WRONG (PDF, 1.26 MB)
Offshore renewable energy (UK) (PDF, 1.29 MB)
Offshore wind (UK) (PDF, 0.93 MB)
Round 3 offshore wind (PDF, 0.91 MB)

Maps and GIS data