A significant first landmark is now being achieved: EnBW and bp acquired two large areas of the Irish Sea, the highest-value areas, for ten years in the first offshore sale of wind rights in England and Wales in the auction of the grant of seabed rights by The Crown Estate in Britain.
EnBW and bp aim to construct a joint three gigawatts wind plant in the region to power 3.4 million households in two offshore wind farms.
Prestigious Competition
In the four areas chosen by the Crown Estate, the British State Property Management Organization (TCE), six biders have been awarded project areas. EnBW and bp could outbid prestigious competition. The security of the seabed rights for an offshore wind farm is a required precondition. After a 1 year habitat regulatory review, EnBW and bp will sign a leasing agreement and coordinate further environmental and habitat evaluations with the local partners, and apply to approve the individual proposals. The proposal is set for approval. The partners will apply for a government-sponsored feed-in tariff and sign the final lease only after this permit has been applied for. The two companies do have to make their investment decisions on this basis.
Renewable Expansion
A core feature of EnBW’s growth policy is the ongoing expansion of renewables in Germany and chosen international markets. Economically, EnBW has spent nearly €5 billion in its Renewable Energies Segment since the beginning of its organizational transition in 2013. Around €4 billion will be spent by 2025, mostly in further growth of wind and solar energy, meaning that renewable energy will account for a decent 50% of the EnBW generation portfolio. With its Baltic 1 offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea, the EnBW was one of the leaders of offshore wind power.
