The cancellation comes as little surprise to many in the industry. Rumours about its demise have swirled for months as it became clear that Germany's E.ON and Denmark's DONG -- both principal actors in Europe's emerging offshore wind sector -- are more interested in pursuing large-scale projects with a more clear-cut pathway to profit.

Scarweather Sands was one of 19 projects allocated as part of the UK’s first round of offshore site leasing (Round 1).