News From Four Big Projects On The 15th May 2026
Are things hotting up in the offshore wind business in the UK? Or is it just a coincidence?
But these four projects were all announced on the 15th May 2026.
Aberdeenshire Council Greenlights Onshore Plans For 1 GW Scottish Floating Wind Project
The Buchan Offshore Wind consortium, comprising BayWa r.e., Elicio, and BW Ideol, has received planning consent from Aberdeenshire Council for the onshore infrastructure that will connect the proposed 1 GW Buchan floating wind farm to the grid. Commissioning in 2033.
Ocean Winds Receives Full Onshore Planning Consent for 2 GW Caledonia Offshore Wind Farm
Ocean Winds, a 50-50 joint venture owned by EDP Renewables and ENGIE, has received full onshore planning consent for its 2 GW Caledonia offshore wind farm following approval by Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee on 14 May. Commissioning in 2032.
UK Grants Development Consent For 3 GW Dogger Bank South Offshore Wind Project.
The UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has granted development consent for two Dogger Bank South (DBS) offshore wind farms, Dogger Bank South West and Dogger Bank South East, which are planned to have a combined installed capacity of 3 GW. Commissioning in 2031 (DBS West) and 2032 (DBS East).
RWE and SSE Secure Consent For 1 GW North Falls Offshore Wind Farm
The North Falls Offshore Wind Farm joint venture between RWE and SSE Renewables has been granted development consent for its 1 GW project by the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DSNEZ). Commissioning in 2030.
It looks like another 7 GW of onshore wind is on its way! The commissioning dates are my best estimates based on past history.
UK Offshore Wind In 2030 – Calculated May 2026
The next general election is likely to be held in 2029, so how much wind energy will be added during the next Parliament?
The Current Position
The Wikipedia entry for the list of operational wind farms in the UK, says this.
In July 2025, there were offshore wind farms consisting of 2,809 turbines with a combined capacity of 16,035 megawatts.
Due To Be Commissioned In 2026
It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2026.
- Doggerbank A – 1235 MW – Fixed
- Sofia – 1400 MW – Fixed
This would add 2635 MW to give a total of 18,670 MW.
Due To Be Commissioned In 2027
It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2027.
- Doggerbank B – 1235 MW – Fixed
- Doggerbank C – 1218 MW – Fixed
- East Anglia 1 North – 800 MW – Fixed
- East Anglia 2 – 900 MW – Fixed
- East Anglia 3 – 1372 MW – Fixed
- Hornsea 3 – 2852 MW – Fixed
- Llŷr 1 – 100 MW – Floating
- Llŷr 2 – 100 MW – Floating
- Norfolk Boreas – 1380 MW – Fixed
- Pentland – 100 MW – Floating
- Whitecross – 100 MW – Floating
This would add 10157 MW to give a total of 28,827 MW.
Due To Be Commissioned In 2028
It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2028.
- Morecambe – 480 MW – Fixed
This would add 480 MW to give a total of 29,307 MW.
Due To Be Commissioned In 2029
It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2029.
- West Of Orkney – 2000 MW – Fixed
This would add 2000 MW to give a total of 31,307 MW.
Due To Be Commissioned In 2030
It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2030.
- Ramplion 2 Extension – 1200 MW – Fixed
- Norfolk Vanguard East – 1380 MW – Fixed
- Norfolk Vanguard West – 1380 MW – Fixed
- Awel y Môr – 1100 MW – Fixed
- Berwick Bank – 4100 MW – Fixed
- Outer Dowsing – 1500 MW – Fixed
- Caledonia – 2000 MW – Fixed
- N3 Project – 495 MW – Fixed/Floating
- North Falls – 504 MW – Fixed
This would add 14,659 MW to give a total of 45.966 MW.
Due To Be Commissioned In 2031
It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2031.
- Awel y Môr – 775 MW – Fixed
- Berwick Bank – 1380 MW – Fixed
- Dogger Bank SW – 1500 MW – Fixed
- Spiorad na Mara – 840 MW – Mixed
This would add 4,495 MW to give a total of 50,461 MW.
Due To Be Commissioned In 2032
It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2032.
- Caledonia – 2000 MW – Fixed
- Dogger Bank SE – 1500 MW – Fixed
This would add 3,500 MW to give a total of 53,961 MW.
Due To Be Commissioned In 2033
It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2033.
- Ayre 1008 MW – Fixed
- Bowdun – 1008 MW – Fixed
- Buchan – 960 MW – Floating
This would add 2,976 MW to give a total of 56,937 MW.
Due To Be Commissioned In 2036
It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2033.
- Havbredey – 1,500 MW – Fixed
This would add 1,500 MW to give a total of 58,437 MW.
Capacity Summary
- 2025 – None – 16,035 MW
- 2026 – 2635 MW – 18,670 MW
- 2027 – 10157 MW – 28,827 MW
- 2028 – 480 MW – 29,307 MW
- 2029 – 3500 MW – 31,307 MW
- 2030 – 14155 MW – 45.462 MW
- 2031 – 4,495 MW – 50,461 MW
- 2032 – 3,500 MW – 53,961 MW
- 2033 – 2,976 MW – 56,937 MW
- 2036 – 1,500 MW – 58437 MW
We’re still be adding capacity into the 2030s.
Gas-Fired Power Still Looks A Safe Bet For Centrica In The Renewables Era
I feel rather surprisingly, the title of this post, is the same as this article on the Guardian.
You’d think, that they would be critical of Centrica for keeping the gas power stations going.
But this is the sub-heading.
There will still be a need to have gas in the wings to keep the lights on, so the financials stack up on Severn plant purchase.
So why should Centrica buy a 832 MW closed cycle gas fired power station?
These posts describe, what Centrica have done at Brigg with another closed cycle gas fired power station.
- Construction Under Way To Double Power Station Capacity At Centrica’s Brigg Energy Park
- Hydrogen Milestone: UK’s First Hydrogen-to-Power Trial At Brigg Energy Park
Will Centrica be taking closed cycle gas fired power stations and making them more efficient to provide the back up to wind farms, when wind is having an off day?
I wouldn’t be surprised, if Centrica put a big battery on the two sites, as after all they are a godparent to Highview Power.
Are there any more closed cycle gas fired power stations, that they can acquire?
I asked, Google AI,”How many closed cycle gas fired power stations are there in the uk?” and received this answer.
As of early 2026, there are approximately 35 active combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power stations—often referred to as closed-cycle—in the UK.
These plants provide the bulk of the UK’s gas-fired capacity, totaling roughly 30-35 GW along with smaller, single-cycle (OCGT) plants which are used for backup.
Total Capacity: The total capacity of all gas-fired generation (CCGT and others) is approximately 35.7 GW.
Role in Power Mix: CCGTs are highly efficient and provide baseload power, while OCGT plants (about 14+ sites) are typically used for peak demand.
Key Locations: Major plants include Pembroke (RWE), Staythorpe (RWE), Didcot B (RWE), and Connah’s Quay (Uniper).
These plants remain the largest single source of electricity generation on the UK grid, though they are increasingly being paired with carbon capture proposals.
I think, that Engineer Baldrick is now working for Centrica and he has a cunning plan to use efficient CCGT power stations to back up the wind.
Consider.
- Severn power station is an 832 MW combined cycle power plant running on natural gas, which is located near Newport in South Wales.
- 4.5 GW of offshore wind is to be built near Port Talbot.
- Will some hydrogen generated by HiiROC be used to part-fire Severn power station and reduce its carbon footprint.
- South Wales can easily find space for a couple of Highview 300 MW/3.2 GWh CRYOBatteries.
- It would be useful to have a good-sized hydrogen store in South Wales.
That mix would surely provide enough reliable power for green steelmaking and a few data centres.
Europe: New Fund To Upgrade Solar And Wind Assets With Battery Storage
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Review Energy.
This is the sub-heading.
The Aream Group has launched a new European investment vehicle targeting the renewable energy sector, with a strategy that combines power generation, storage and electricity marketing.
These three paragraphs add more details to the story.
The Clean Energy Future Fund II (CEFF II) will focus on integrating renewable generation assets with battery storage systems to improve the use of grid connections, which are increasingly scarce across European markets. According to Markus W. Voigt, Executive Chairman of aream Group, the hybrid model is designed to respond to growing volatility in electricity markets.
“With this hybrid approach, we are leveraging the changes and increased volatility in the European electricity markets for the benefit of our investors,” Voigt said.
The fund will primarily invest in Europe, with a particular focus on Germany, and will build on an existing portfolio of operational assets. A central element of the strategy is the addition of battery storage to solar and wind farms, allowing them to evolve from pure generation assets into providers of grid services.
I have a Google Alert which looks for “Energy Storage Fund” and this story was one of nine substantial stories.
This story talks about €400 million and two others talk about €300 million and AU $ 1.4 billion, respectively.
So hopefully, this money will help to mop up some of the energy wasted, when wind farms are curtailed.
Certainly, these funds don’t seem to have difficulty finding money to invest.
Could A Feeder Network Of Local Trains Be Developed For HS2 At Lancaster Station?
Lancaster station is one of the less important stations that will be served by High Speed Two.
I visited in May 2025 and afterwards wrote Lancaster Station – 23rd May 2025.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the railway network around Lancaster.
Note.
- The red track on the East side of the map is the electrified West Coast Main Line.
- The location of Lancaster station is indicated by a blue arrow.
- Morecambe, where the Eden Project North is being developed and the important port of Heysham are on the coast to the West of Lancaster.
- Oxenholme station is towards the North-East corner of the map, on the main line.
- The Windermere branch connects to the main line at Oxenholme station.
- HS2 will use the West Coast Main Line and call at Lancaster and Oxenholme.
North of Oxenholme, HS2 calls at Penrith and Carlisle, before going on to Glasgow and Scotland.
West of the main line, the map is dominated by the waters of Morecambe Bay, which in recent decades has produced a lot of our gas, but is now transitioning to an area, that will produce a few gigawatts of wind power.
North of Morecambe Bay, there is the Lake District, with the shipbuilding at Barrow and the nuclear waste processing at Sellafield on the coast.
It is an important area of England, where there is a lot going on!
Tying it all together is the yellow ribbon of the Cumbrian Coast Line, which connects Carnforth and Carlisle on an hourly basis.
- The service calls at Grange-over-Sands, Barrow-in-Furness, Millom, Ravenglass, Drigg, Seascale, Sellafield, St Bees, Whitehaven, Workington, Maryport, Aspatria, Wigton and other places.
- Four services a day link Carlisle and Lancaster stations.
- Carlisle and Lancaster stations are 120.5 miles apart via the coast and according to Google AI, the journey takes between three and three-and-a-half hours.
- In From Barrow-in-Furness To Ravenglass, From Ravenglass to Sellafield and From Sellafield To Carlisle, there are some images, that give a flavour of the route.
This is a route, that is worth decarbonising.
Consider.
- There is a couple of gigawatt of wind power in the bay to charge any batteries with green electricity or make green hydrogen.
- There is a project called BARROW GREEN HYDROGEN, which is located in Barrow-in-Furness.
- Both hydrogen and battery-powered trains could handle the hundred and twenty miles of the Cumbrian Coast Line.
- A zero-carbon train running silently round the Lake District could be a tourist attraction in its own right.
- Hydrogen-powered buses could provide the local transport.
Given the scenery and the closeness to the Lake District and High Speed Two, I suspect that major train manufacturers like Alstom, CAF and Siemens will be keen to bid.
No Panic At The Pumps … South Koreans Just Stop Driving On Wednesdays
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.
This is the sub-heading.
President Lee Jae-myung has urged the public to ‘save every drop of fuel’ and introduced a number-plate rotation to keep drivers off the road
These first three paragraphs deeply illustrate the differences between the energy situation in North and South Korea.
From the lookout point atop Mount Dora, in the heart of the demilitarised zone that has separated the peninsula since 1953, you can clearly see where South Korea ends and North Korea begins.
The trees that proliferate across Korea’s undulating topography come to an abrupt halt. On the land that sits beyond, a farmer can be seen guiding an ox pulling a plough.
Sealed off from the world economy for 73 years, communist North Korea has resorted to cutting down much of its vegetation to burn for fuel. Democratic South Korea, by contrast, has established deep global trading ties that allow the country to import vital natural resources it cannot produce domestically.
North Korean communism certainly can’t be considered green.
I find these two paragraphs extremely significant.
South Korea may have to import almost all of its crude oil, but the country plays a huge role in refining it into petrol, diesel and jet fuel before shipping it around the world. This means that demand from overseas for Korea’s refined products is greater than ever, which has forced the government to step in. The country’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has implemented mandatory caps on refined petroleum products.
Of all South Korea’s refined products, kerosene, or jet fuel, is the most in demand. The country is one of the biggest exporters of jet fuel in the world. The US, for instance, relies on it for 70 per cent of its total jet fuel imports.
They could also be problematical for the country, as they will surely need to replace these jet fuel exports with exports of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Most viable processes, that I’ve seen need the following ingredients.
- Lots of hydrogen or masses of GWhs of electricity to make it.
- Some carbon atoms, which can even be captured from the air or a gas-fired power station.
- Some form of Fischer-Tropsch process to force the atoms to make sustainable aviation fuel.
There are several companies that can do this, with British ones seeming to often to be connected to Oxford University.
There is also this Anglo-Korean connection over hydrogen.
I asked Google AI, who are investors in innovative hydrogen production company; HiiROC, which is a spin-out of the University of Hull, and received this answer.
HiiROC, a UK-based developer of “turquoise” hydrogen technology, is backed by a consortium of major industrial and financial players, including Centrica, Melrose Industries, HydrogenOne Capital Growth, Hyundai, Kia, Wintershall Dea, VNG, and Cemex Ventures. The company has raised over £40 million to develop its thermal plasma electrolysis technology.
Note the presence of two of the biggest Korean companies ; Hyundai and Kia.
HiiROC is also five times more efficient than traditional electrolysis.
Google AI says this about South Korean offshore wind.
South Korea is aggressively developing its offshore wind sector, targeting 14.3 GW to 15 GW of installed capacity by 2030, with over 116 projects and 44 GW of capacity under development. The country aims for a 2030 renewable energy share of 20-30%, leveraging floating technology for massive projects like the 3.2 GW Jindo project.
It appears to me, that South Korea will replace their market share of the jet fuel market with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
I’m also sure, that if the Koreans need to produce more hydrogen to make more SAF to power the world’s aircraft, Centrica will help them to rent some of our empty seas.
I can see the Koreans, with a little help from their friends, including the UK, dominating the SAF market.
Hexicon Sells UK TwinHub Floating Wind Project After CfD Termination
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Renewables Now.
This is the sub-heading.
Floating wind developer Hexicon AB (STO:HEXI) announced it has divested its 32-MW TwinHub offshore wind project in the UK’s Celtic Sea waters, which recently had its contract for difference (CfD) terminated.
These first three paragraphs add some details.
The Swedish firm said it had entered into and completed a sales and purchase agreement (SPA) related to the TwinHub project company, Wave Hub Ltd. The buyer is an unnamed “leading global provider of advanced maritime and offshore engineering solutions.” Financial details were not provided.
Hexicon bought Wave Hub Ltd in 2021, when the site was permitted for wave energy, and later repurposed it for a floating offshore wind project. The scheme secured a 15-year CfD in the fourth allocation round in 2022, which was a first for a development of this type.
Earlier this month, the UK government confirmed that the CfD for TwinHub had been terminated.
It appears that the new owners will be continuing the project.
Getting To Know More About TwinHub
I like the design of the TwinHub and this link will give you all my posts on the technology.
This link will give you all my
‘Our Wind Farm Won’t Discourage Bronte Tourists’
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-title.
The developers of England’s largest wind farm have claimed that the turbines will not discourage visitors to moors once loved by the Bronte sisters.
These three paragraphs add more detail.
Calderdale Energy Park is applying to construct 34 turbines on Walshaw Moor, between Hebden Bridge and Haworth – the village associated with Bronte tourism.
As a nine-week public consultation begins, chief executive Christian Egal told objectors that the development would provide “cheap, reliable and stable” energy.
Campaigners who oppose the plans for the West Yorkshire moorland said that the wind farm would turn the scenic area into an “industrial complex”.
It is worth reading the whole BBC article as it gives a lot of detail and if you are worried about this sort of development, you should visit.
I have some thoughts.
Saint Brieuc Wind Farm
This wind farm has a web site.
Christian Egal says this about this wind farm of the coast of Brittany in France.
“There are thousands of visitors every day taking a boat to visit the wind farm, it has been demonstrated that at similar sites the balance is not negative, there are lots of circumstances where wind farms attract a lot of interest.”
The developers should make the wind farm visitor-friendly.
Peat
I know that peat on these and other moors is a sensitive subject and this is said about it.
Access roads will be built over the moor but Egal said: “We avoid deep peat, each turbine is located where the peat is shallow and any peat that is removed will be reinstated locally so the net balance will be zero loss of peat.
That looks to be the right attitude!
Will There Be A Battery?
This Google Map shows Haworth.
Note.
- Haworth is outlined in red.
- There appears to be something like a quarry on the Eastern edge of the map.
I wouldn’t be surprised if a suitable space for on of the new technology batteries can be found.
Rheenergise is one company that comes to mind.
Ocasio-Cortez, Markey Ask Trump Admin To Explain Paying TotalEnergies USD 1 Billion ‘In Taxpayer Money’ To Drop Offshore Wind Projects
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
US lawmakers Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ed Markey have sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum on the plan by the Trump administration to pay nearly USD 1 billion to TotalEnergies to cancel offshore wind projects off the US East Coast, calling on the administration to stop the payment and explain the legal basis and funding source for the proposed transfer.
These four paragraphs add detail to the story.
As reported recently, the US government’s agreement with TotalEnergies concerns the company’s exit from offshore wind development in the country by relinquishing leases for projects off New York/New Jersey and North Carolina, for which the administration intends to pay approximately USD 928 million.
The agreement also stipulates that TotalEnergies would redirect that money to oil & gas projects in the US. The company, in a press release issued after signing the agreement with the government, indicated that it would invest proceeds from the payment into a liquefied natural gas export facility in Texas and other oil and gas activities in the US that will support both domestic supply and the demand in Europe.
As reported recently, the US government’s agreement with TotalEnergies concerns the company’s exit from offshore wind development in the country by relinquishing leases for projects off New York/New Jersey and North Carolina, for which the administration intends to pay approximately USD 928 million.
The agreement also stipulates that TotalEnergies would redirect that money to oil & gas projects in the US. The company, in a press release issued after signing the agreement with the government, indicated that it would invest proceeds from the payment into a liquefied natural gas export facility in Texas and other oil and gas activities in the US that will support both domestic supply and the demand in Europe.
Trump may have got what he wanted and stopped development of wind farms, but at what cost to US taxpayers?
Out of curiosity, I asked Google AI, “Which LNG Terminal In Texas Have TotalEnergies Agreed To Develop”, And Received This Answer.
TotalEnergies has agreed to develop and invest in the Rio Grande LNG (RGLNG) project located in South Texas.
Key details regarding TotalEnergies’ involvement include:
Partnership: In June 2023, TotalEnergies signed a framework agreement with NextDecade Corporation to participate in the development of the Rio Grande LNG project.
Ownership and Phase 1: TotalEnergies holds a 16.67% stake in the first phase of the project, which includes three liquefaction trains with an annual capacity of 17.5 million tons per annum (Mtpa).
Offtake Agreement: TotalEnergies has agreed to purchase 5.4 million tons per annum (Mtpa) of LNG from Phase 1 for 20 years.
Expansion (Train 4): As of September 2025, TotalEnergies has reached a Final Investment Decision (FID) for a 10% stake in the joint venture developing Train 4 of the Rio Grande LNG facility.
NextDecade Stake: TotalEnergies also acquired a 17.5% stake in NextDecade Corporation, the developer of the project.
The Rio Grande LNG project is located in Brownsville, Texas, and is expected to contribute to TotalEnergies’ goal of expanding its U.S. LNG export capacity to 15 million tons annually by 2030.
I shall be watching this project. Especially, as several new techniques have come forward in the last few months.
The Anonymous Widower 