UK’s latest auction yields big results for solar, onshore wind and tidal

The UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has announced another successful result for its latest renewables auction (AR7). This outcome is supposed to put the UK on track for its 2030 clean power target.

The result includes  4.9GW of solar capacity, 1.3GW of onshore wind capacity and 20.9MW of tidal capacity was secured.

Noteworthy winning projects include:

• Imerys Wind Farm in Cornwall - the largest onshore wind project to be successful in England in a decade
• Sanquhar II Wind Farm in Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland - the fourth largest onshore wind farm in the UK
• West Burton solar farm - a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project that is now the largest solar farm ever to win a government renewables contract.

Furthermore, the announcement confirmed that new onshore wind has been agreed at a price of £72.24 ($99)/MWh and new solar at £65.23 ($89)/MWh, both under half the £147/MWh cost of building and operating new gas power stations.

AR7 is the UK’s largest Contracts for Difference round ever and combined with January’s offshore wind results, the government has now delivered a record 201 projects, generating 14.7GW of new clean power.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband commented on the result: “By backing solar and onshore wind at scale, we’re driving bills down for good and protecting families, businesses, and our country from the fossil fuel rollercoaster controlled by petrostates and dictators. This is how we take back control of our energy and deliver a new era of energy abundance and independence.

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Head of Mission Control, Chris Stark, said that these results will not only help lower energy bills, but he concurred on Miliband’s point of ensuring much-needed energy security.

Said Stark: “With each new solar and onshore wind project we reduce Britain’s reliance on gas power plants, insulating families from the next spike in global gas prices.”

Once built and generating power, these projects will reduce bills for households and drive down wholesale prices. It will also unlock an additional £5 billion ($7 billion) in private sector investment.

According to WindEurope, the auction results are good news for the UK economy. In a statement, the association said: “70% of spending over the lifespan of a UK onshore wind turbine takes place within the UK, creating jobs and lasting economic activity.”

WindEurope also lauded the government's simultaneous release of the Local Power Plan, which will encourage residents to participate in and benefit from local generation projects.

Attention on tidal power

In terms of tidal, four energy projects secured the 20.9MW capacity.

The recipients include Mor Energy, Tidal Technologies, Orbital Projects 10 Limited and Hydrowing Tidal Projects 2.

Said Richard Parkinson, CEO of Inyanga Marine Energy Group, who awarded a further 10MW for the Ynni’r Lleuad Project at Morlais in Wales: “This latest award allows us to focus on economies of scale and drive momentum towards delivering clean and stable power to the grid in Anglesey at an industrial scale.

Read more about tidal power

“The award enables us to drive costs down while unlocking the investment necessary to make this project a reality. Our team is working extremely hard with our supply chain and investment partners as we ramp up manufacturing and move towards delivery.”

Andrew Scott, CEO of Orbital Marine Power, added: “This is welcomed news as we move Orbital and our supply chain into delivery mode, it expands our vision and increases the opportunities around our business while we demonstrate the important role tidal stream can play in energy systems of the future with its reliable, predictable clean energy.”