The UK's Crown Estate has begun the design of a new leasing round for early commercial-scale floating wind projects in the Celtic Sea, the property management body said March 24. The UK aims to have 1 GW of floating offshore wind capacity installed in its waters by 2030. The technology promises greater yields from deeper water locations, with early demonstrator Hywind Scotland reporting a record high capacity factor of 57%. "There is appetite to develop projects that are around 300 MW in size, moving the sector onto an 'early commercial' phase, with a desire for a pipeline of opportunities that helps to continue to build market confidence," the Crown Estate said. "Floating offshore projects are going to be vital in ensuring we unlock the full potential of natural resources in the windiest parts around our coastline and ensure the UK remains a world leader in offshore wind," said Energy Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan.
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