The UK Government has secured 8.4GW of wind capacity, while Nordlicht I and II will provide Germany with over 1.6GW.
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According to the UK Government, the 8.4GW secured during AR7 (Contracts for Difference) is the biggest single procurement of offshore wind energy in Britain and Europe, generating enough electricity to power the equivalent of 12 million homes.
The government claims this will gain around £22bln in private investment, support around 7,000 jobs and help contribute towards its 2030 renewable energy targets.
Winning projects include:
- Dogger Bank South, off the Yorkshire coast
- Norfolk Vanguard, off East Anglia
- Berwick Bank, North Sea (Scotland)
- Awel Y Môr, Wales
- Erebus, Celtic Sea
- Pentland, Scotland
The cost of fixed offshore wind in AR7 was £90.91 per MWh on average, 40% lower than the LCOE industry metric estimate of £147 per MWh from building and operating a new gas-fired power station.
These domestic projects will help reduce the UK’s exposure to volatile global fossil fuel markets, and the announcement follows reported measures to cut energy bills by an average of £150 from April 2026.
Germany is also securing domestic wind capacity with its Nordlicht I and II projects situated in the German North Sea, both expected to be operational in 2028, providing a net capacity of over 1.6GW.
The former is claimed to be the country’s largest offshore wind project, and construction for Nordlicht I is planned to commence in quarter three 2026, with Nordlicht II following around a year later.
Vattenfall, a Sweden-based European energy company, has a full final investment decision (FID) and has obtained planning approval on both projects.
Both wind farms will feature turbine towers partially constructed from low-emission steel, aiming to reduce their overall carbon footprint by 16%.