NOF and Energi Coast welcome significant leasing activity to bolster North East offshore operations
Posted on 26 March 2026
NOF and Energi Coast, North East England’s offshore wind cluster, celebrate The Crown Estate’s announcement that it will move forward with the next phase of offshore leasing.
The announcement was made at the Energy Central Learning Hub in Blyth, on 26th March at an event attended by local industry and national stakeholders.
The area identified by The Crown Estate could support up to 6GW or more of offshore wind capacity, supporting 2030 clean power targets. The announcement also signals a strong step towards strengthening a credible pipeline of opportunities, limiting the impacts of attrition and supporting energy security at a key time.
The region’s potential to support future leasing is bolstered by its strategic location, with access to ports, infrastructure through supply chain capacity, and a ready workforce skilled in construction, fabrication, operations and maintenance. All of which have been at the forefront of Energi Coast’s ambitions to highlight the North East’s offshore potential.
Established in 2011, Energi Coast is one of eight UK offshore wind clusters and is owned and operated by NOF; a national business development organisation with more than 400 members involved in the offshore wind, hydrogen, carbon capture & storage, oil & gas and nuclear industries.
Over the course of three years, Energi Coast has undertaken numerous activities to raise awareness of the opportunity, supply and technology innovation in the region and has developed key strategic relationships with national stakeholders. As well as more recently assisting in the development of a pan regional offshore wind strategy for the coming decade.
Tony Quinn, Chair of Energi Coast, responded to the announcement: “This is a significant moment for both the UK and the North East, placing the region at the heart of delivering energy security whilst simultaneously delivering economic growth.
“What sets this announcement apart is the institutional alignment that sits behind it, combined with its deliverability.
“The alignment exists at both national and regional levels, from The Crown Estate and NESO (National Energy System Operator) to our Combined Authorities and the Energi Coast cluster; from research and innovation organisations, UK Research and Innovation, Catapults, Universities, through to education and training providers including schools, colleges and universities.
“The deliverability is borne out of incremental innovation, our engineering expertise and our ability to scale our key businesses to the requisite capacity. We’ve already demonstrated our capability on projects like Dogger Bank and Sofia and are ready to increase our regional share of this new capacity announced today.”
Joanne Leng MBE, Chief Executive of NOF, said: “NOF and Energi Coast welcomes today’s news from The Crown Estate confirming its plans to open up 6GW of additional capacity in seabed sites off the coast of North East England. 6GW translates to around 462 wind turbines and enough clean energy to power almost a quarter of homes in England and Wales.
“For 25 years North East England has been a pioneer in offshore wind, from building the first offshore wind farm in the UK to now being home to the world’s largest offshore wind farm. Therefore, this news firmly places the North East of England and Tees Valley at the heart of the UK’s next phase of offshore wind growth, with the region’s ports in prime position to support new wind farm developments, from manufacturing and assembly through to installation and long-term maintenance.
“These new offshore wind farm sites will drive multi-billion-pound private sector investment and create thousands of skilled jobs with regional businesses lined up to capitalise on the future supply chain opportunities.
“The announcement comes ahead of Energi Coast launching its 10-year offshore wind strategy. The strategy will be released at Energi Coast’s showcase event on April 1 in Newcastle and outlines how the region will scale up and step up to deliver on future offshore wind farm developments.
“The region’s manufacturing strength, globally significant port system and can-do attitude will drive the success of future leasing rounds. In addition, our fabrication and assembly capability along with our strong infrastructure and a drive for innovation targeted at the next-generation fixed bottom projects and floating technologies demonstrates that North East England is firmly positioned to continue leading the way in offshore wind, through strong collaborative practices and the collective will to succeed as the industry evolves.”
Tom Nightingale, Deputy Chair of Energi Coast and Equinor Local Supply Chain Manager, said: “Today’s announcement has the potential to unlock the next phase for North East England’s offshore wind future. The region has grown both expertise and innovation, and further collaboration will grow the industry further for generations to come.”
North East England is at the epicentre of the energy transition with the pipeline, projects and people needed to advance the UK’s Net Zero ambitions. The region is built on a great industrial heritage, and its strong supply chain and ports will be at the heart of the sector’s growth in the North East and beyond, helping to deliver the Offshore Wind Industrial Growth Plan and create opportunities for local people to prosper.
Energi Coast will continue to play a key role in stepping up to the challenges identified in the Offshore Wind Industrial Growth Plan, commissioned in 2024 by Renewable UK, Offshore Wind Industry Council, The Crown Estate and Crown Estate Scotland, and in the development of floating offshore wind in the North Sea.
For more information on Energi Coast, visit https://energicoast.co.uk/
For more information on NOF, visit https://www.nof.co.uk/
