Britain announces record levels of new solar and onshore wind projects as part of its latest renewables auction.
This comes just weeks after the single biggest procurement of offshore wind that Europe has seen, confounding the global challenges facing the industry and securing a major vote of confidence in the UK’s clean energy mission.
Today’s outcome builds on that success with a record number of solar projects secured, the largest onshore wind project to be successful in England in a decade, and new tidal stream schemes. Combined with January’s offshore wind results, the government has now delivered a record 201 projects, generating 14.7GW of new clean power – enough to supply the equivalent of 16 million homes.
The government claims this puts the UK on track for its 2030 clean power target. New onshore wind has been agreed at a price of £72.24/MWh and new solar at £65.23/MWh, both under half the £147/MWh cost of building and operating new gas power stations.
Once built and generating, new clean, homegrown power secured today will reduce bills for households and drive down wholesale prices, while protecting families and businesses from fossil fuel price shocks that have triggered half of all recessions since the 1970s.
These projects deliver major infrastructure for the country as Britain races to cut energy bills and meet future electricity demand – unlocking an additional £5 billion in private sector investment and supporting up to 10,000 jobs. Successful projects include:
- Imerys Wind Farm in Cornwall – the largest onshore wind project to be successful in England in a decade, helping rebuild an industry that was stagnant under the de facto onshore wind ban.
- Sanquhar II Wind Farm in Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland – the fourth largest onshore wind farm in the UK. – driving growth and private investment across the region.
- West Burton solar farm — a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project that is now the largest solar farm ever to win a government renewables contract, transforming the home of the last coal-fired power station into a powerhouse of clean, secure, homegrown energy that Britain controls.
Britain is building clean, homegrown energy at every scale – these results follow the publication of the Local Power Plan by the government and Great British Energy. A fund of up to £1 billion will enable communities across the UK to own and control their own clean energy projects, building community wealth through the largest public investment in community energy in this country’s history.
It also follows wider action to cut energy bills, including taking an average £150 of costs off bills from April and delivering the biggest ever public investment in home energy upgrades through the Warm Homes Plan.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said, “These results shows once again that clean British power is the right choice for our country, agreeing a price for new onshore wind and solar that is over 50% cheaper than the cost of building and operating new gas.
“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.”
Neil McDermott, Chief Executive of the Low Carbon Contracts Company (LCCC), said, “These results demonstrate the enormous contribution the CfD is making to Great Britain’s electricity system.
“Together these projects will provide new renewable electricity generation at scale, particularly when paired with the record offshore wind capacity contracted in AR7.”
Rebecca Beresford, Director of Markets at the National Energy System Operator (NESO), said, “Providing certainty for developers is critical to delivering on our collective future energy needs. We’re really proud of the work our teams do to help deliver these auctions and to administer the Contracts for Difference process.”
