Crown Estate Scotland has confirmed that a total of 19 applications have been made for its Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) offshore wind leasing process.   

This level of interest from industry demonstrates significant support for this exciting new opportunity.   

INTOG will help to decarbonise the North Sea oil and gas sector by supporting the building of wind farm projects connected to oil and gas infrastructure (TOG) providing electricity and will reduce the carbon emissions associated with oil and gas production. It will also allow for the development of small-scale (IN) innovative offshore wind projects of 100MW or less.   

Of the 19 applications, 10 are for the Innovation part, while nine have been submitted for the TOG element. These applications have been sited in those locations set out in the Scottish Government’s Initial Planning Framework. 

Crown Estate Scotland will now assess the applications. The offer of Exclusivity Agreements for both IN and TOG projects is anticipated to be announced by the end of April 2023. 

About INTOG

Innovation and Targeted Oil & Gas (INTOG) is a leasing round for offshore wind projects that will directly reduce emissions from oil & gas production and boost further innovation. 

Developers can apply for seabed rights to build two types of offshore wind project: 

• IN - Small scale, innovative projects, of less than 100MW 
• TOG - Projects connected directly to oil and gas infrastructure, to provide electricity and reduce the carbon emissions associated with production  

INTOG is designed, in response to demand from government and industry, to help achieve the targets of the North Sea Transition Sector Deal. 

Why is this important?  
In order to reach net zero emissions by 2045, Scotland will need innovations in offshore wind which go beyond current technologies – so creating opportunities for developers to test new ideas is crucial.   

Decarbonising oil & gas installations will also play an important role in the transition to net zero.  

According to the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) power generation for oil & gas infrastructure in the UK, which comes primarily from the burning of fossil fuels, generates emissions equivalent to 10Mt every year: about the same amount generated by electricity use in nine million homes.  

These emissions could be eliminated by powering the installations with electricity from new wind farms instead. 

Current status
The registration window for INTOG opened on 10 August 2022, and will close on 24 August 2022. 

The application window opened thereafter, before closing on 18 November 2022. 

Crown Estate Scotland will now assess the applications and anticipate announcing the offer of Exclusivity Agreements for both IN and TOG projects by the end of April 2023. 

KeyFacts Renewable Energy Directory: Crown Estate Scotland