UK awards record 3.3GW solar PV in latest CfD AR6

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
edf renewables
French renewables developer EDF Renewables’ 400MW Longfield Solar Energy Farm was awarded the highest capacity for PV. Image: EDF Renewables.

The UK Department for Net Zero and Energy Security (DESNZ) latest Contracts for Difference (CfD) has awarded 3.3GW of solar PV.

In total, 93 ground-based solar PV projects were awarded CfDs in the sixth auction round (AR6). This auction round beat a record set in AR4, when 66 solar projects, totaling 2.2GW, gained CfDs.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

Delivery of the projects will be spaced out between 2026 and 2028, with 884MW of solar PV contracted for 2026, 509MW in 2027 and 1,895MW in 2028.

Solar PV achieved a strike price of £50.07/MWh, higher than both AR4 (which was £45.99/MWh) and AR5 (which was £47.00/MWh, the maximum allowable price for the auction).

AR6 had the highest-ever budget allocated for a funding round, reaching a total of £1.5 billion after the Labour government announced a £500 million increase on 30 July.

“The CfD system is currently working well for solar. We look forward to future allocation rounds and will work with the Government to deliver the capacity necessary to meet its renewable energy targets. Having greater visibility of future budgets for the years to come would help achieve this,” said Gemma Grimes director of policy and delivery at trade association Solar Energy UK.

French renewables developer EDF Renewables’ Longfield Solar Energy Farm, a nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP) with 400MW generational capacity that secured a development consent order (DCO) in June 2023, won 299MW in AR6. Longfield is the first solar development with a capacity over 50MW to secure a CfD and was the highest capacity for a solar PV project awarded in AR6.

According to Cornwall Insight, solar PV’s CfD success results from a strong pipeline of assets across many Great British regions and its competitive edge over onshore wind. Despite this positive result, combining operational and future CfD contracted capacity, total solar PV capacity in Great Britain is expected to reach at least 23.3GW—well below the 50GW target set in Labour’s Green Prosperity Plan.

This article was originally published in full on our sister site, Current±.

1 July 2025
London, UK
UK Solar Summit 2025 will look at the role solar currently plays in the energy mix, how this will change over the coming years and how this aligns with net-zero and other government targets. We will break down all these challenges and help build up solutions through discursive panels, motivational keynotes and case studies, with newly added interactive sessions to get you moving and meeting your peers, making the connections you need to boost your business.

Read Next

March 18, 2025
France has revised down its solar PV target by 2035 from 100GW to 90GW in its latest Multiannual Energy Programme (PPE3).
March 10, 2025
The ninth auction for rooftop solar PV awarded 54 projects with an average price of €98.2/MWh, a slight decrease from the previous tender.
March 7, 2025
Greek renewables firm Terna Energy, a subsidiary of Emirati state-owned developer Masdar, has invested in a 130MW solar PV plant in Bulgaria.
March 6, 2025
Despite last year seeing a record 73GW of renewable energy utility-scale tenders, it has also witnessed a rise in undersubscribed tenders
March 5, 2025
The Greenough River solar PV plant has been deemed the best-performing utility-scale solar asset in Australia in February 2025.
March 3, 2025
Argentinian renewables developer Genneia has launched its first solar PV plant in the Argentinian region of Mendoza.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
March 25, 2025
Lisbon, Portugal
Solar Media Events
March 26, 2025
Renaissance Dallas Addison Hotel, Dallas, Texas
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
April 23, 2025
Fortaleza, Brazil
Solar Media Events
April 29, 2025
Dallas, Texas
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
May 7, 2025
Munich, Germany