RWE secures lease agreements to develop four offshore wind farm extensions projects in the United Kingdom

• Potential 1.8 gigawatts awarded Agreement for Lease by The Crown Estate, RWE pro rata share about 900 megawatts
• RWE’s total share in the UK offshore development projects totals up to 1.3 gigawatts including 400 megawatts from the remaining seabed option at Rampion
• Projects in the Irish Sea, the southern North Sea and the English Channel

RWE Renewables and its project partners have signed with The Crown Estate Agreements for Lease for developing four projects in the United Kingdom to extend the existing offshore wind farms Gwynt y Môr, Galloper, Greater Gabbard and Rampion. The granted seabed leases comprise extension projects with a combined potential installed capacity of around 1.8 Gigawatts (GW), with RWE’s pro rata share amounting to almost 900 megawatts (MW). Furthermore, it was decided to seek to develop the remaining seabed option at the original Zone 6 of the existing Rampion project and combine this with the extension project at this windfarm. 

The Gwynt y Môr extension project called Awel y Môr is located off the coast of North Wales in the Irish Sea. Its capacity may be up to 576 MW (RWE share 60%). The Galloper extension called Five Estuaries has a potential capacity of up to 353 MW (RWE share 25%) and the Greater Gabbard extension, renamed North Falls, has an agreement for up to 504 MW (RWE share 50%). Both projects are located in the southern North Sea. The Rampion 2 development project with a potential capacity of up to 1,200 MW (RWE share 50.01%) is located off the coast of Sussex in the English Channel.

All projects are in very early stages. The necessary development and consenting activities will now progress in accordance with current UK Government guidelines which will include comprehensive stakeholder consultation and determining each project’s exact installed capacity. The consenting processes are expected to take three to five years with participation in auctions for a Contract for Difference (CfD) and construction following thereafter. The wind farms could become fully operational towards the end of the decade. 

Tom Glover, RWE Renewables Chief Commercial Officer and RWE UK Country Chair, said:  “RWE looks back on many years of experience in the UK offshore wind industry, working hand in hand with the communities where our renewables projects are located. I expect the four offshore wind extension projects to bring significant benefits to the UK energy infrastructure and economy. They present a potential multi-billion pound investment and could grow the local supply chain as well as lead to the creation of hundreds of jobs.”

RWE will take the lead on behalf of partners for the development of the Awel y Môr and Five Estuaries offshore wind farms. RWE and SSE Renewables have formed a 50:50 joint venture company to develop the North Falls offshore wind farm together. Rampion 2 is a joint venture between RWE, a Macquarie-led consortium and Enbridge. RWE will manage the project.

The United Kingdom plays a key role in RWE’s strategy to grow its renewables business and to become carbon neutral by 2040. With nine offshore wind farms in the UK in operation, RWE has significant experience in the offshore market. The company’s pro-rata installed capacity in offshore wind amounts in the UK to 1.4 GW. Furthermore, RWE is currently constructing the 857 MW offshore wind farm Triton Knoll (RWE share 59%) off the Lincolnshire coast and is developing the 1.4 GW offshore wind farm Sofia, 100% owned by RWE. RWE also has a strong footprint in onshore wind in the UK, with an installed pro-rata capacity of around 650 megawatts in operation.

RWE Renewables

RWE Renewables, the newest subsidiary of the RWE Group, is one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies. With around 3,500 employees, the company has onshore and offshore wind farms, photovoltaic plants and battery storage facilities with a combined capacity of approximately 9 gigawatts. RWE Renewables is driving the expansion of renewable energy in more than 15 countries on four continents. By the end of 2022, RWE targets to invest €5 billion net in renewable energy and to grow its renewables portfolio to 13 gigawatts of net capacity. Beyond this, the company plans to further grow in wind and solar power. The focus is on the Americas, the core markets in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

Project Partners for the Extension projects

Awel y Môr Offshore Wind Farm

Potential installed capacity of up to 576 MW. The project partners are RWE (60%), Stadtwerke München (30%) and Siemens’ financing arm, Siemens Financial Services (10%). RWE, is once again leading the development of the project on behalf of the project partners.

Five Estuaries Offshore Wind Farm

Potential installed capacity of up to 353 MW. The project partners are the same as the operational Galloper Wind Farm and include a Macquarie-led consortium (25%), RWE (25%), Siemens’ financing arm, Siemens Financial Services (25%), ESB (12.5%) and Sumitomo Corporation (12.5%).  RWE is once again leading the development of the project.

North Falls Offshore Wind Farm

Potential installed capacity of up to 504 MW. North Falls Offshore Wind Farm is owned in a 50/50 joint venture between SSE Renewables and RWE. The project will be developed by the project company with a team comprising staff from both owner companies. The project site is 23 kilometres off the UK’s coast and covers a total area of 150 km².

Rampion 2

Potential installed capacity of up to 1,200 MW. Rampion 2 owned by three shareholders. RWE owns 50.1% of the shares, Macquarie-led consortium  hold 25 % and Canadian energy company Enbridge has 24.9%. The project site is off the coast of Sussex in the English Channel.