Renewable energy giant RWE has confirmed it will be taking part in the upcoming offshore wind seabed leasing round process in Scotland, called ScotWind, just as the deadline for applications was about to expire.
ScotWind is a seabed leasing round, managed by Crown Estate Scotland, which aims to enable up to 10 gigawatts (GW) of new offshore wind farms to be constructed in the country’s coastal waters.
The application window for registered applicants opened in January 2021, and the deadline for applications was 5 pm on Friday, July 16.
The seabed round in which companies apply for the right to build wind farms has attracted the interest of both "traditional" renewables giants such as Iberdrola, Orsted, Ocean Winds, and Vattenfall, as well as from the oil majors looking to diversify, such as Shell, TotalEnergies, and BP.
Tom Glover, RWE UK Country Chair said:"The ScotWind process is a critical step for Scottish Government delivering its ambitious target of 11 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030.
"As a long-standing partner and investor in the Scottish renewables industry, RWE is pleased to be able to support this through our participation. Our company is a highly experienced, innovative, and globally recognized player in the offshore wind sector, and anticipates that success in ScotWind would unlock significant opportunities to re-energize the local supply chain, while helping create important, high-quality, long term employment. We look forward to continuing as a trusted partner to Scotland in the delivery of its offshore ambitions"
In Scotland, RWE has around 480 megawatts (MW) of installed renewable energy capacity across onshore wind, offshore wind, and hydro sites, with a current development pipeline of more than 350 MW.
Announcing its participation in RWE said Friday it was also "rapidly developing" its floating wind capabilities.
"With partners, [RWE] is undertaking pioneering work through three floating demonstration projects, in the US, Spain and Norway, which will ensure the business is very well placed to deliver new projects in deeper waters off the Scottish coast, secured as part of the leasing round," RWE said.
Per info on the Crown Estate Scotland website, Scotland's goal is to have 50% of the country’s overall energy consumption from renewable sources by 2030, and to reach reaching net zero emissions by 2045.
ScotWind is the first round of offshore wind leasing in Scottish waters for a decade and is designed to help the country meet its climate and emissions reductions goals.