The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero published aimed at adjusting the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme in the UK. The proposed changes include relaxing eligibility criteria for planning consent for fixed-bottom offshore wind projects, revising how offshore wind budgets are set and published, and extending the CfD contract term beyond 15 years.
The consultation follows the previous AR6 round, which delivered 128 projects with a total capacity of 9.6 GW. The reforms are intended to provide greater certainty for investors and to facilitate the development of additional renewable projects, in line with the Clean Power 2030 target. Currently, the UK has 30.7 GW of offshore wind installed or committed and an additional 7.2 GW consented, against a target of 43 to 50 GW.
