The Crown Estate has launched a competitive tender to appoint a new developer for the up to 1.5 GW Morgan offshore wind project in the Irish Sea, following the previous developer's decision to discontinue the project earlier this year.
The accelerated process could see development rights awarded by the end of 2026, helping to maintain the project's progress. Once operational, Morgan is expected to generate enough electricity to power up to 1.5 million homes.
The Crown Estate is working with stakeholders to preserve as much of the project's existing development work as possible, enabling the new developer to build on the progress already made.
The project received a Development Consent Order (DCO) for the wind farm in August 2025 and is awaiting a decision on the joint DCO application for its transmission assets, submitted together with the 480 MW Morecambe offshore wind project. A decision is expected in September 2026.
Morgan also has a grid connection agreement with the National Energy System Operator (NESO).
Developers will participate in a transparent rising clock auction, with bids based on a Site Exclusivity Fee that becomes payable only when the project enters the lease stage. Although bid as a lump sum, the fee will be paid over a 20-year period from the start of the lease.
Bids are expected to be submitted during the summer, with the auction and selection of a preferred bidder planned for later this year.
Separately, The Crown Estate confirmed in March 2026 that it intends to launch Offshore Wind Leasing Round 6 for around 6 GW of offshore wind capacity off the north-east coast of England. The leasing round is expected to begin in the first half of 2027 and is separate from the Morgan tender process.
