Morecambe

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero granted development consent for the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm Generation Assets by making The Morecambe Offshore Windfarm Generation Assets Order 2025, authorising construction and operation of the 480 MW fixed‑bottom offshore wind farm with turbines, inter‑array cables and offshore substation platform(s) in the eastern Irish Sea.

On 26 February 2025, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (through its Copenhagen Infrastructure V fund) signed a transaction to acquire full ownership of the 480 MW fixed-bottom Morecambe offshore wind project from Cobra Group and Flotation Energy, with Flotation Energy remaining involved as a development partner and closing subject to customary approvals and conditions.

Further geotechnical and geophysical surveys for the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm are reported as being underway across the windfarm site, indicating that a new phase of seabed investigation had commenced by the time of the project’s website update. The campaign is described as ongoing and is planned to run through to August 2024, subject to weather conditions, which confirms that active offshore survey operations have started rather than merely being scheduled. These works focus on improving understanding of seabed conditions within the defined project area to support detailed design and consenting. This latest survey phase builds on a sequence of earlier site investigations at Morecambe. Initial mapping of the seabed via geophysical surveys was completed in October/November 2021, followed by collection of geotechnical data in 2022 to test seabed physical properties. In May 2023, additional geophysical and shallow geotechnical surveys were undertaken within the proposed development site, and from mid-July to late October 2023 deep-sea geotechnical surveys were carried out using the survey vessel Horizon Geodiscovery. The current round of geotechnical and geophysical surveys therefore represents a continuation and deepening of the site characterisation programme as the project progresses through development. The stated objective of these ongoing surveys is to gather the data necessary to refine project design and to better understand ground conditions across the offshore area. Their completion, targeted for August 2024, will inform final engineering decisions and environmental assessments for the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm, supporting subsequent planning, design optimisation and preparation for future construction activities.

Morecambe Offshore Windfarm Ltd submitted an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) for the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm Generation Assets, covering fixed‑foundation wind turbine generators, inter‑array cables, offshore substation platform(s) and possible link cables in the eastern Irish Sea, to the Planning Inspectorate under the UK Planning Act 2008 regime.

From mid-July to late October 2023, the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm project team undertook a campaign of deep-sea geotechnical surveys within the project area, using the survey vessel Horizon Geodiscovery. The wording on the project website indicates that this offshore geotechnical investigation was carried out over that period and therefore reached completion by late October 2023. These works followed earlier site investigations, including mapping of the seabed via geophysical surveys completed in late 2021 and collection of geotechnical data during 2022, as well as additional geophysical and shallow geotechnical surveys conducted in May 2023. Together, these campaigns build a progressively more detailed picture of seabed conditions for the planned fixed-bottom foundations and associated infrastructure. The deep-sea geotechnical surveys are a key milestone in de-risking the project’s detailed design, as they provide data on the physical properties of the seabed at different locations within the lease area. This information underpins engineering decisions on foundation types, installation methods, and cable routing. The completion of this deep-sea survey phase by late October 2023 means that the project can move forward using a robust geotechnical dataset, while further geotechnical and geophysical surveys across the site are now underway and scheduled to be finished in August 2024, subject to weather. These subsequent campaigns will further refine understanding of ground conditions ahead of construction and final investment decisions.

From mid-July 2023, the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm project initiated a campaign of deep-sea geotechnical surveys within the defined project area. These investigations were carried out at different locations across the offshore site using the specialist survey vessel Horizon Geodiscovery. The work follows earlier phases of seabed characterisation noted on the project website, including geophysical mapping completed in late 2021, geotechnical data collection during 2022, and further geophysical and shallow geotechnical surveys undertaken in May 2023 to refine understanding of seabed conditions as project design progressed. The deep-sea geotechnical surveys represented an escalation in the detail and depth of subsurface information being gathered for the Morecambe development. By deploying Horizon Geodiscovery to sample and test conditions at multiple offshore locations, the project team aimed to obtain data necessary to support detailed engineering design and to confirm the suitability of seabed areas for fixed-bottom turbine foundations and associated infrastructure. This phase of works, running from mid-July through to late October 2023, forms a critical input to ongoing technical and environmental assessments described elsewhere on the project website, and helps de-risk later construction and consenting steps by improving certainty around ground conditions across the windfarm site.

In May 2023, the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm project undertook further geophysical surveys, alongside shallow geotechnical surveys, within the proposed development site to better understand seabed conditions and support the ongoing development of the offshore windfarm proposals.

In May 2023, the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm project completed a campaign of further geophysical surveys, alongside shallow geotechnical investigations, within the proposed development site in the Eastern Irish Sea. These works followed earlier seabed mapping undertaken in October and November 2021, when geophysical surveys first mapped the windfarm area, and subsequent geotechnical data collection in 2022. The May 2023 survey programme specifically aimed to build on this earlier dataset and refine understanding of seabed characteristics across the 480 MW project’s offshore footprint, located roughly 30 km from the Lancashire coast. The project states that the purpose of these May 2023 surveys was to better understand the condition of the seabed as it continues to develop proposals for the offshore windfarm. By pairing additional geophysical data with shallow geotechnical information, the developer is able to improve inputs to project design and environmental assessment, supporting decisions on turbine locations, foundations and associated infrastructure. These completed surveys also form part of a broader sequence of site investigations, which includes deep-sea geotechnical surveys from mid-July to late October 2023 and further geotechnical and geophysical surveys scheduled to run through to August 2024, as well as ongoing onshore ground investigations along the proposed export cable route. Collectively, the May 2023 survey completion marks a notable step in de-risking the seabed understanding for Morecambe Offshore Windfarm, providing higher-resolution data to underpin the project’s ongoing development and future construction planning.

In May 2023, the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm project undertook a campaign of shallow geotechnical surveys within the proposed development site to improve understanding of the seabed conditions. These works followed earlier site investigations, including seabed mapping via geophysical surveys completed across the windfarm area in October/November 2021 and the collection of geotechnical data during 2022 to test the physical properties of the seabed and inform project design. The May 2023 activity combined further geophysical surveys with targeted shallow geotechnical investigations, indicating a continued, methodical approach to characterising ground conditions across the lease area. The stated purpose of these May 2023 surveys was to better understand the condition of the seabed as the project team continues to develop proposals for the offshore wind farm. By refining knowledge of near-surface soils and sediment structure, the results will support detailed engineering decisions for turbine and foundation design, as well as export cable routing. They also contribute to the technical evidence base required for environmental assessment and consenting. The May 2023 shallow geotechnical work sits within a broader programme of offshore and onshore surveys, including subsequent deep-sea geotechnical surveys from mid-July to late October 2023 and further geotechnical and geophysical surveys now underway, all aimed at de-risking design and construction while ensuring that the project is planned with robust data on site conditions.

Morecambe Offshore Windfarm Limited issued its Preliminary Environmental Information Report (PEIR) for the Generation Assets, summarising the project, site selection, design development, and key Environmental Impact Assessment findings based on available survey and modelling data.

The offshore ornithological survey campaign for the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm Generation Assets was completed in February 2023, concluding 24 consecutive monthly surveys used to characterise bird use of the site.

During 2022, the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm project completed a key phase of its site investigation work by collecting geotechnical data across the planned wind farm area. According to the project website, the purpose of this activity was to test the physical properties of the seabed and inform the project design. This geotechnical campaign followed earlier site characterisation work, including mapping of the seabed via geophysical surveys, which had been completed for the windfarm area in October and November 2021. Together, these datasets progressively reduced geological uncertainty and underpinned the engineering basis for turbine foundations and associated offshore infrastructure. The 2022 geotechnical data collection formed part of a broader programme of environmental and technical surveys that the developer is undertaking to support its Development Consent Order (DCO) application and detailed design. The website notes that additional environmental surveys were already planned for 2022, both onshore and offshore, to investigate seabed habitats, ecology and onshore ground conditions. Building on the 2022 geotechnical campaign, the project subsequently progressed to further geophysical and shallow geotechnical surveys in May 2023, followed by deep-sea geotechnical investigations from mid-July to late October 2023, and then further surveys running into 2024. The completion of the 2022 geotechnical data collection therefore represents an early, foundational milestone in defining seabed conditions and guiding the evolving design of the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm.

Non-statutory (stage one) consultation for the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm Generation Assets ran from 2 November 2022 to 13 December 2022, as stated in the project’s Consultation Report submitted with the DCO application.

In 2022, Morecambe Offshore Windfarm commenced a geotechnical survey campaign, collecting geotechnical data across the offshore project area to test the physical properties of the seabed and inform the project’s design.

In 2021, Cobra Instalaciones y Servicios and Flotation Energy formed a joint venture and established Morecambe Offshore Windfarm Ltd to develop the 480 MW Morecambe Offshore Windfarm in the Irish Sea, after being selected together as the preferred bidder for a Round 4 seabed lease by The Crown Estate.

The offshore site for the 480 MW Morecambe Offshore Windfarm in the eastern Irish Sea was selected as part of The Crown Estate’s Offshore Wind Leasing Round 4, establishing the specific development area approximately 30 km off the Lancashire coast in water depths of 18–40 m.

Mapping of the seabed via geophysical surveys for the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm area was completed in October/November 2021. This milestone marked the conclusion of a key phase in the project’s early site investigations, following the initiation of a broader survey programme that also included aerial surveys for offshore birds and marine mammals starting in April 2021. By finishing this seabed mapping campaign, the project team secured a detailed understanding of the bathymetry and geophysical characteristics across the proposed windfarm site in the Eastern Irish Sea. The completed geophysical surveys provided essential baseline data on seabed conditions that underpin subsequent technical and environmental work. The results help inform project design, including turbine siting and cable routing, and support the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes referenced elsewhere in the project’s planning documentation. Building on this milestone, additional environmental and geotechnical surveys were scheduled and undertaken, including the collection of geotechnical data in 2022 to test the physical properties of the seabed. Together, these datasets form a comprehensive evidence base that reduces uncertainty, supports regulatory submissions, and enables the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm to progress through development towards construction with a clearer understanding of site constraints and opportunities. Overall, the October/November 2021 completion of seabed geophysical mapping represents an important foundational step in de-risking the project and preparing it for later design refinement, consent, and delivery stages.

A 24‑month offshore ornithology survey programme for the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm Generation Assets commenced, with monthly surveys starting in March 2021 to collect bird data within the future wind farm area.

Cobra and Flotation Energy, acting through Morecambe Offshore Windfarm Ltd, were selected as preferred bidder and secured a 60‑year seabed lease for the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm site in the UK Offshore Wind Leasing Round 4.

Morgan Offshore Wind Limited (Morgan OWL) is identified as a joint venture between bp Alternative Energy Investments Ltd. (bp) and Energie Baden‑Württemberg AG (EnBW) to develop the Morgan Offshore Wind Project in the east Irish Sea. This bp/EnBW joint venture is one of the sponsors of the shared Morgan and Morecambe Offshore Wind Farms: Transmission Assets, and therefore forms part of the ownership and development structure for the transmission assets serving Morecambe Offshore Windfarm.

Morecambe Offshore Windfarm Ltd, the project company behind the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm and its associated transmission assets, is reported as being owned by Morecambe Offshore Wind Holdco Limited, which forms part of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners’ fifth flagship fund, Copenhagen Infrastructure V (CI V). This indicates that CI V, via the holdco structure, is the controlling owner of the Morecambe development entity involved in the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm: Transmission Assets project.