UK energy department BEIS has pencilled in 29 May for the start of the next allocation round of its Contract for Difference renewables auction regime.
In a technical notice relating to generators who want to be exempted from their temporary site exclusion and compete in CfD3, the department said the date would be confirmed in a future update.
BEIS had hoped to kick off the auction procedure by 1 May but faces delays due to the EU state approval needed for its 6GW cap for all so-called Pot 2 less established technologies for the delivery years 2023-24 and 2024-25.
“The capacity cap proposed to apply to this allocation round is subject to state aid approval, which is expected to be received by the start of the allocation round,” it said.
“As a result, the commencement date to be published in the allocation round notice may be earlier or later than 29 May 2019, however it will not be before 1 May.”
Last November, BEIS allocated a draft budget of £60m for the auction.
Eligible technologies include offshore wind, remote island wind, wave, tidal, geothermal, advanced conversion technologies, anaerobic digestion and dedicated biomass with CHP.