UK Offshore Wind Auction Set to Launch This August

The UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has announced that the next offshore wind auction, known as Contract for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round 7 (AR7), is scheduled to begin on August 7, with the application window remaining open until August 27.

This upcoming auction is poised to be one of the most pivotal rounds to date. According to Offshore Energies UK, the country is currently falling behind on its Clean Power 2030 goal, which targets between 43 and 51 GW of offshore wind capacity. To stay on track, the UK must secure 8.4 GW of new capacity in AR7 — a figure that would make it the largest CfD round ever.

The auction results are expected to be announced sometime between December 2025 and February 2026. In a move aimed at increasing efficiency, the Department has separated offshore wind from other renewable technologies to streamline the approval process.

Provisional delivery windows have also been outlined. Projects involving fixed-bottom offshore wind are expected to come online in 2028–29, while floating wind projects are anticipated for 2029–30. Final confirmation of these delivery years will be made before the round officially begins.

The UK government has allocated a budget of £20.1 million ($27.2 million) per gigawatt of capacity for applicants eligible for the Clean Industry Bonus, with the total funding pool exceeding £544 million ($736 million).

Additionally, the government is exploring the possibility of allowing fixed-bottom offshore wind projects that have not yet obtained planning consent to participate in the tender — potentially opening the door to a broader range of proposals in this critical round.