The Crown Estate has held a Bidders Information Day for the recently launched Offshore Wind Leasing Round 4.

The event hosted more than 130 industry representatives who are potential participants in the Round 4 leasing round and their advisors.

Participants were provided with details on the tender process set to open later this month with the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) and will run until autumn 2020.

The focus of the event were the four broad Bidding Areas of seabed which have been specifically identified for Leasing Round 4, as well as the structure and timing of the full leasing process.

The supporting data to assist bidders, including constraints analysis and stakeholder feedback, was provided and the bidders heard how they will have the opportunity to propose project sites and details of the tender process and evaluation criteria.

“Welcoming so many delegates to today’s event demonstrates the really positive interest we have seen in Round 4 leasing in the waters around England and Wales. This is a great opportunity to get involved in the largest offshore wind market in the world and we look forward to formally opening the tender process later this month,” said Jonny Boston, Business Development Manager at The Crown Estate.

The Offshore Wind Leasing Round 4 opens up the potential for at least 7GW of new seabed rights for offshore wind development in the waters around England and Wales.

It includes incentives for technical innovation and options to propose hybrid projects, such as those which integrate offshore wind with interconnection or other energy generators.

Round 4 projects will come forward across at least three bidding areas, with a maximum of 3.5GW within any one area. The lease terms have been extended from 50 to 60 years, enough for two full project lifecycles.