Almost 1500MW of onshore and remote island wind has secured Contracts for Difference in the UK’s fourth allocation round.
SSE Renewables netted a contract for 220MW of its Viking wind farm – half of the Shetland project’s 443MW overall capacity – in the round’s largest offer.
Brockwell Energy’s 212MW North Kyle project in East Ayrshire followed in a close second.
SSE Renewables managing director Stephen Wheeler said: “We are delighted that Viking Energy Wind Farm has been successful in securing a 15-year contract in the UK’s fourth and highly competitive CfD allocation round.
“Viking will be the most productive onshore wind farm in the UK when it enters operation from 2024, and will play a crucial role in decarbonising energy supply in the Shetland Islands as well as in Scotland.”
The strike price for mainland onshore wind in Pot 1 came in at £42.47/MWh, while remote island wind struck £46.39/MWh in Pot 2.
A total of ten mainland onshore wind projects were successful in the auction to the tune of 888MW, with ScottishPower Renewables picking up half of the winning bids.
The developer’s 119.7MW Cumberhead West, 74.1MW Arecleoch Extension, 51.3MW Kilgallioch Extension, and 71.5MW Douglas West Extension were all successful, along with the 79.8MW Hagshaw Hill repowering scheme.
Elsewhere in mainland onshore wind – where projects have been set a delivery date of 2024/25 – EDF Renewables netted an bid for the near 100MW Stranoch wind farm.
BayWa r.e secured two offers for its 48MW Broken Cross and 50MW High Constellation ventures.
Rounding off the mainland pack was Coriolis, with its 81.6MW Chirmorie project in South Ayrshire.
Six remote island wind projects were allocated offers, with delivery set for 2026/27.
EDF Renewables’ 200MW Stornoway wind farm followed Viking as the second-largest remote project, while Peel NRE won two bids for its 46MW Beaw Field and 48MW Mossy Hill sites.
Orkney Islands Council completed the set with two 28.8MW community-led projects, Hoy and Quanterness.
EDF Renewables UK’s CEO Matthieu Hue said: “This is fantastic news for our two projects [Stranoch and Stornoway] which we are looking forward to building and further contributing to the UK’s net zero targets.
“We are disappointed our Blyth 2 project did not win a CfD as we firmly believe the project would be key to enabling more floating offshore wind projects.
“Our priority now will be to look at other ways to deliver this.”