UK AR8: Two eligible floating projects, a 28 GW pipeline and one new category

At face value, the floating field in AR8 looks modest.

When the round opens on 20 July, Salamander and White Cross currently look like the only fully consented floating contenders, two test and demonstration projects of 0.1 GW each, with the budget expected to favor fixed-bottom. It looks a lot like AR7 all over again.

But, underneath the headlines, the round is more interesting:

- A new "Other Deepwater" category opens a separate route to support for projects in waters deeper than 50 m using novel hybrid foundations. Eligible projects appear scarce for AR8, but together with new delivery flexibility for floating projects, the signal matters: the CfD scheme is being reshaped around the UK's deep-water pipeline, now exceeding 28 GW in development.

- A floating surprise is still possible. Commercial-scale projects are racing to complete consenting before the 7 August application deadline. If one qualifies, its scale could capture a significant share of the available budget and change the competition altogether.

- The real pressure sits with AR9, where floating competition expectedly gets far tougher. Securing support now could put a project well ahead of the field. Using Aegir Quant™, we modeled estimated CfD bid prices for the ten most advanced UK floating projects: a merit order showing who could move early, and price competitiveness.

Our new Insight report covers the full AR8 floating landscape, the qualification race, and what "Other Deepwater" means for bid strategy – available for clients on the Aegir Intelligence Platform.

Want to talk about AR8 bid strategy, the UK's floating pipeline, and the new "Other Deepwater" category in person?

We will be at RenewableUK Global Offshore Wind this week, 16 & 17 June.

Reach out to us here to meet up.

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