The government hopes to secure 12GW of capacity, the largest amount in the scheme’s history, with the potential to power around eight million homes. This is more capacity than the three previous rounds combined, with additional offshore wind capacity.
The scheme is open to an expanded range of renewable energy technologies: offshore and onshore wind, solar, tidal, and floating offshore. Projects involving these technologies are eligible to bid for a fraction of the funding.
Regarding emerging technologies, £24m has been set aside for floating offshore wind projects and £20m for tidal stream projects. Onshore wind and solar are competing for the first time since 2015, and the government is seeking significant capacity from these technologies to help achieve the required levels of deployment in line with meeting climate change targets.
According to government figures, between the scheme’s first round in 2015, and its third in 2019, it has led to the price...