Oil giant BP could be set for a smoother passage into UK offshore wind than most after winning two lease areas in the Irish Sea that clean energy chief Dev Sanyal said are all about “location, location, location”.

Sanyal, BP’s executive vice president for gas and low carbon energy, said the sites it will advance in a 50/50 joint venture with EnBW are “highly advantaged”, citing a string of pluses that range from relatively shallow, near-shore locations to reduced headaches from bird issues compared to projects in the North Sea.