UK announces new offshore wind auction date

For the first time, offshore wind and non-offshore wind technologies will be published on a separate timeline, to ‘allow us to confirm results as soon as possible’, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) says.

The window to apply for a Contract for Difference has been set at between August 7 and August 27 2025, with results of the auction expected to be announced between December 19 and February 23, 2026, depending on a range of scenarios such as whether applications qualify or not, and if appeals are made.

While separating on and offshore wind projects for the first time, both floating and fixed-bottom wind farms are included in this round.

”The Clean Power 2030 Action Plan set out the deployment of renewables required to deliver our 2030 goal,” the Department says. “It noted that while all renewables deployment will be important in delivering our ambitions, growth in offshore wind will be particularly critical. The offshore wind market also differs from that of other renewables technologies with a higher degree of market concentration and larger projects. 

“The 2030 Action Plan states we will need to deliver 43-50GW in 2030.”

The Department says success of this allocation round will be measured partly by keeping energy at a competitive price for consumers – which it has so far failed to do, with UK householders and businesses paying some of the highest energy bills in the world.

It also says round six, AR6, was a ‘record-breaking success’, while failing to mention that AR5, the previous year, broke records in not receiving a single offshore wind project bid and resulted in the price cap being raised to attract bidders for AR6.

The government is also considering relaxing some of the eligibility requirements for fixed-bottom projects.