Scotland delays seabed wind licence tender as price expectations rise

LONDON (Reuters) - Crown Estate Scotland has pushed back the deadline for applicants in its tender for seabed licences for offshore wind projects after high prices secured in an English and Welsh auction this week, it said.

Scotland's ScotWind wind leasing tender is its first for a decade and is expected to attract interest from traditional offshore wind developers and oil majors seeking to increase their renewable power portfolios.

An auction of licences around the Welsh and English coast this week attracted higher prices than many were expecting, with winners including BP and Total.

“The unprecedented outcome ... has, overnight, changed the market dynamics around offshore wind leasing and could have significant implications for offshore wind development in Scotland," Amanda Bryan, Chair of Crown Estate Scotland, said in a statement.

"It is only right that we consider the implications of this new situation."

Deadlines for applications will now be extended beyond the original March 31 date, with a new deadline to be announced after a review of the option structure, Crown Estate Scotland said.

(Reporting by Susanna Twidale; Editing by David Goodman)