UK Trends and Developments Contributed by: Andrea Stauber, Martina Antosova, Medhavi Singh and Sadyant Sasiprabhu, King & Spalding International LLP
represents the UK’s most ambitious public investment in clean energy infrastructure in decades. The total project cost exceeds GBP38 billion, and government analysis concluded that SZC could reduce the cost of the low-carbon electricity system by around GBP2 billion per year. Once operational, Sizewell C will generate 3.2 GW for at least 60 years, with 70% of construction value expected to be awarded to British businesses. There is general consensus that the UK should focus on developing its nuclear power capacity and capi- talise on its geographical advantages by developing CCUS, solar, and offshore and onshore wind. Although significant planning reforms have now been enacted, consenting processes for offshore wind remain slow in practice. As a result, significant challenges remain for the UK government’s path to net zero.
Solar Solar has emerged as the dominant technology in the UK’s non-offshore wind CfD programme. The AR7a results, announced in February 2026, saw solar PV procure a record 4.9 GW of capacity at an average strike price of GBP65.23/MWh (2024 prices) – mak- ing it both the largest technology by volume and the cheapest per unit of electricity. Up to GBP135 million was allocated to solar PV projects in AR7, a significant real-terms increase over AR6, and CfD target com- missioning windows for solar projects were extended from three to 12 months, recognising the longer devel- opment timelines of larger-scale projects that will be necessary to meet the government’s solar ambitions. The government’s target of 70 GW of solar capacity by 2035 represents a more than threefold increase from current installed capacity and will require continued reform of planning processes for ground-mounted solar alongside further investment in rooftop instal- lations.
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