The fourth round of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme will open to applications in December 2021.
As previously announced, the round aims to double the capacity of renewable energy compared to the last round and expand the number of technologies supported, with offshore wind, onshore wind, solar, tidal, and floating offshore wind projects all eligible to bid.
It is hoped that confirmation of the round opening in December and no earlier will provide further clarity to prospective participants.
An indicative timeline for the round, including the specific opening date in December, will be confirmed in due course.
Consultation response
Ahead of Allocation Round 4, the government has today published its response to the November 2020 consultation on changes to Supply Chain Plans and the CfD contract.
The response confirms decisions made on amendments to strengthen the Supply Chain Plan process for projects of 300MW or above entering a CfD allocation round. These include the implementation of new legislative powers for the Secretary of State to assess and either pass or refuse a Supply Chain Implementation Statement.
The response also confirms the government’s decision to not extend phasing to floating offshore wind, as well as a number of technical amendments to the CfD contract.