developers and a large number of applications were submitted. Seventeen of the applications were granted permission to proceed in April 2001, in what has become known as Round1 of United Kingdom offshore wind development. The first of the Round 1 projects was North Hoyle Wind Farm, completed in December 2003. The final project, Teesside, was completed in August 2013. Twelve Round 1 farms in total are in operation providing a maximum power generating capacity of 1.2GW. Five sites were withdrawn, including the Shell Flat site off the coast of Lancashire. Round 2 Lessons learnt from Round 1, particularly the difficulty in getting planning consent for offshore wind farms, together with the increasing pressure to reduce emissions, prompted the then Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to develop a strategic framework for the offshore wind industry. This identified three restricted areas for larger scale development, Liverpool Bay, the Thames Estuary and the area beyond the Wash, called the Greater Wash, in the North Sea. Development was prevented in an exclusion zone between 8 and 13km offshore to reduce visual impact and avoid shallow feeding grounds for sea birds. The new areas were tendered to prospective developers in a competitive bid process known as Round2. The results were announced in December 2003 with 15projects awarded with a combined power generating capacity of 7.2GW. By far the largest of these is the 900MW Triton Knoll. As before a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) would be needed along with an application for planning consent. The first of the Round 2 projects was Gunfleet Sands II, completed in April 2010 and six others are now operational including the London Array, formerly the largest wind farm in the world. Four other Round 2 sites are currently under construction. Round 1 and 2 Extensions In May 2010, the Crown Estate gave approval for seven Round 1 and 2 sites to be extended creating an additional 2GW of offshore wind capacity. Each wind farm extension will require a complete new planning application including an Environmental Impact Assessment and full consultation. The sites are: Burbo Bank and Walney: DONG Energy UK. Kentish Flats and Thanet: Vattenfall. Greater Gabbard: SSE Renewables and RWE Npower Renewables. Race Bank: Centrica Renewable Energy. Dudgeon: Statoil and Statkraft. Round 3 Following on from the Offshore wind SEA announced by the Government in December 2007, the Crown Estate launched a third round of site allocations