Energy & Science

U.K.’s Wind Capacity Set for Big Boost After Record Auction

  • Winners include Iberdrola, BP, Shell, SSE among others
  • Offshore wind is critical to U.K. reaching climate goals

Barges position offshore floating wind turbines during assembly in the Hywind pilot park, operated by Statoil ASA, in Stord, Norway.

Photographer: Carina Johansen/Bloomberg
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Scotland awarded rights for a massive offshore wind development more than twice the size of the U.K.’s current capacity, in a move that surprised the market for its scale and was welcomed by environmentalists.

The list of winning projects in the tender adds up to nearly 25 gigawatts, far bigger than the 10 gigawatts that Scottish authorities had anticipated ultimately being built.