OIL giant BP could be set for a smoother passage into UK offshore wind than most after winning two lease areas in the Irish Sea that clean energy chief Dev Sanyal says are all about "location, location, location". BP, in a 50/50 joint venture with German utility company EnBW, was the preferred bidder on two of the six leases on offer in this month's Offshore Wind Leasing Round 4 held by the UK's Crown Estate. The two projects could yield up to 3 gigawatts of capacity. Sanyal, BP's executive vice president for gas and low carbon energy, says the sites it will advance are "highly advantaged", citing a string of pluses that range from relatively shallow, near-shore locations to reduced headaches from bird migration issues compared to projects in the North Sea. "It's the old cliche of location, location, location," says Sanyal. The sites-one of 300 square kilometres and the other 500 square kilometres-are adjacent to each other 35 to 40 kilometres off north-west England and north Wales.
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