Renewable energy projects receive boost in funding

A record number of green energy projects have received funding through the government's most successful renewables auction to date.

The latest auction round delivered 131 new green infrastructure projects, including significant numbers for onshore wind, solar and tidal energy, which will power the equivalent of 11 million British homes.  

The previous auction round in 2023 saw zero offshore wind projects agreed.  

These results come after the government last month increased the budget by 50 per cent.

Nine contracts for offshore wind were awarded including securing both what will be Europe’s largest and second largest windfarm projects, Hornsea 3 and Hornsea 4 off the Yorkshire coast. 

Energy secretary Ed Miliband said: "We inherited a broken energy policy, including last year’s disastrous auction round which gave us no successful offshore wind projects.

"As we accelerate our plan for clean power by 2030 the government will work with the industry on how we can build on this success to ensure we can go even further and faster to deliver the power we need."

The government said a new rollout of low-carbon electricity is "a key step for UK energy independence and energy security, helping protect families and businesses from spiking global fossil fuel prices."  

Projects have been agreed at below the upper limit on the price set for the auction – meaning the government has bought a record amount of clean power at much lower cost to consumers than the maximum price – providing value for money and cheap power.

Some of the projects in the auction include six tidal projects, and a combined 115 solar and onshore wind projects.