RWE has been awarded Contracts for Difference for nine of its new renewable energy projects in the latest UK Renewables Auction, Round 5.
The CfD awards have been made by the Low Carbon Contracts Company, on behalf of the UK government, following successful bids for three onshore wind, four solar and two solar–with co-located battery storage renewable energy projects. The inflation-indexed strike price for these onshore projects was £52.29/MWh and £47.00/MWh for solar, based on 2012 prices.
The RWE projects together account for over 450 MW of new UK renewable electricity generation capacity, and demonstrate its continuing ambition to invest up to £15 billion by 2030 in new UK clean energy infrastructure, including the construction of RWE’s first large-scale UK solar projects following the acquisition of JBM Solar last year. The first projects are expected to get underway later this year with full construction to follow in 2024.
RWE’s successful AR5 projects are: Camster II 36 MW, Enoch Hill 69 MW, and Strathy Wood 63 MW, all Scotland onshore wind; Moreton Lane 49 MWac, Cotmoor 50 MWac, Stoneshollow 50 MWac, and Ashorne 50 MWac, all solar in England; Langford 36 MWac and Minety 47 MWac, both co-located solar and battery storage in England.
Tom Glover RWE UK Country Chairman commented: “Whilst we are delighted with the success of onshore and solar technologies in this year's auction we are very concerned that no offshore wind capacity was secured. It is hugely important, given the UK’s … clean energy and net zero ambitions, that opportunities to bring forward the further deployment of low cost renewables be maximised for all viable technologies in all future auctions, including offshore wind as well as onshore wind and solar. It was therefore very disappointing that … the government took no action to address the rising costs for all renewable technologies and the supply chain challenges they face. We now believe that the UK’s ambitions for a five-fold offshore wind growth by 2030 and a net zero power system by 2035 are unlikely to be met without decisive government action – our industry needs the certainty of stable, future CfD Auction Rounds based on sustainable pricing, separate pots for offshore wind, and realistic assumptions.”
RWE has six offshore wind farms in development around the UK coastline, making it a key partner in helping the government achieve its target of deploying 50 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030.