The Crown Estate has announced details of the new area for Leasing Round 6, expected to launch in early 2027. The announcement is further positive news that will help to increase and accelerate offshore wind deployment in the UK.
Leasing rounds are the process through which The Crown Estate awards developers the exclusive rights to survey, build and operate offshore wind farms within defined areas of the UK’s seabed. Leasing rounds differ from contracts for difference (CfD) allocation rounds in that they are only allocating where an offshore wind farm can be built, whereas CfD rounds determine the revenue support provided by the government for specific wind farm projects (See our review of the CfD Allocation Round 7 results in January 2026 for more details).
The areas released within Leasing Round 6, assumed to lie within the North East Area of Opportunity shown in Figure 1, confirm that the next major phase of UK offshore wind development will be concentrated in the North East of England, with sites spanning water depths of around 60–90 metres, and delivering an expected 6 GW of new capacity. This marks a major strategic milestone for both the region and the UK’s long-term offshore wind ambitions.
The areas released within Leasing Round 6, assumed to lie within the North East Area of Opportunity shown in Figure 1, confirm that the next major phase of UK offshore wind development will be concentrated in the North East of England, with sites spanning water depths of around 60–90 metres, and delivering an expected 6 GW of new capacity. This marks a major strategic milestone for both the region and the UK’s long-term offshore wind ambitions.
Figure 1. Bathymetry of the North Sea, off the NE coast of the British Isles, with the North East Area of Opportunity outlined. Bathymetric map sourced from the Global Wind Atlas.
Regional Economic Impact
The areas within Leasing Round 6 will significantly bolster the UK’s industrial position in the North East, reinforcing the region as a central hub for the next generation of offshore wind development. Having a geographical focus enables companies to commit more confidently to the next natural phase of offshore wind industrialisation, namely technology innovation and optimisation. This innovation will result in improvements such as turbine reliability, which increases uptime and boosts capacity factors, helps lower the levelised cost of energy (LCOE) and, in turn, reduces consumer bills over time.
As an organisation with deep roots in the North East of England, through our major offshore wind technology testing facility in Blyth, Northumberland, ORE Catapult welcomes the opportunity to continue to support economic growth in the North East. In particular, we’re excited about the potential this leasing round provides for the innovation of current and future technologies to service deeper water sites.
Advancing Technologies for Deeper Waters
While the opportunity is significant, some of the water depths within Leasing Round 6 (seen within Figure 1) fall beyond the limits of today’s commercially proven fixed-bottom foundations, which currently top out at around 60 metres. By releasing deeper-water sites without prescribing specific technologies, The Crown Estate appears to be signalling an openness to other solutions that can bridge the gap between traditional fixed-bottom and full floating wind.
ORE Catapult is already working to explore these technological pathways. The difference in cost between relatively cheap fixed-bottom and more expensive pure floating wind in UK waters today creates a niche for new hybrid concepts. These structures may use fixed foundations combined with mooring systems to extend feasible deployment into deeper waters.
The projects that secure lease options in Round 6 are not expected to enter development until the latter part of the 2030s, giving industry time to refine and commercialise deeper-water innovations. By that stage, we anticipate significant progress either in:
- extending fixed-bottom designs into deeper waters,
- developing hybrid systems at scale, or
- accelerating floating wind technologies to maturity.
Whatever pathway becomes commercially dominant, ORE Catapult will continue to support the sector by providing world-class testing, validation, and demonstration facilities to ensure safe, reliable, cost-effective technology deployment.
Additional Factors to Watch
A further area to watch closely in Leasing Round 6 is the structure of option fees, given how significantly these have shaped developer behaviour in previous rounds. ScotWind required large upfront option payments, whereas in contrast, Leasing Round 4 adopted an annual option fee model, with fee payments only stopping once a project achieves FID and moves into the leasing phase.
The difference in fee approach has meaningful consequences: annual fees can incentivise developers to push more quickly through the consenting process to reduce cumulative costs. Accelerating consenting can potentially create pressure on regulators and risking bottlenecks as multiple projects race to secure approval at the same time. By comparison, the ScotWind model, with costs paid upfront, places less financial strain on developers during the pre‑FID period, meaning delays are less punitive.
For deeperwater sites that could be expected to rely on emerging or hybrid technologies, the uncertainty around construction timelines could make an annual fee model less appealing, raising the question of whether The Crown Estate may adopt a different approach for Leasing Round 6. How those fees are structured will play an important role in shaping developer behaviour, pacing of consents, and ultimately the timing of delivery for these new projects.
Alongside the option fees, and consenting timelines, there are some further considerations that accompany this new leasing round. While the additional 6 GW represents another significant boost to the UK’s clean energy ambitions, offshore wind capacity can only deliver its full value if matched by the infrastructure needed to bring that power ashore and into the grid. With yet another major development area in the North Sea, there is a strong expectation that grid and transmission upgrades in the region will continue to be prioritised. Ensuring that electricity generated in these wind rich areas can be efficiently transported and fully utilised is essential for maximising both the climate and economic benefits of offshore wind.