The UK government has announced that the next Contracts for Difference (CfD) allocation round will open in July 2026.
The upcoming round, Allocation Round 8 (AR8), follows the most recent auction results from January 2026, when the UK government announced that it had secured 8.4 GW of offshore wind capacity through AR7, the largest procurement of offshore wind capacity in a UK CfD auction to date.
Industry association RenewableUK welcomed the decision to bring forward the next auction.
Commenting on the announcement, the organisation’s Chief Executive Tara Singh said AR8 could strengthen Britain’s energy security by accelerating domestic renewable generation.
“Recent global events have shown, yet again, how exposed we remain to shocks in international fossil-fuel markets, and the best way to reduce that vulnerability is to generate more of our own electricity here in the UK, at the stable prices wind and solar offer” , Singh said.
According to RenewableUK, as many as 18 offshore wind farms could potentially compete for contracts in the upcoming round, alongside new onshore wind and solar projects. The organisation noted that strong competition between projects is key to securing the best value for electricity billpayers.
“A high level of competition between projects is exactly what delivers the best value for billpayers. To secure it, developers need clear and decisive action on grid connection dates, charges and delivery timelines, so that projects can bid with confidence” , Tara Singh said.