The British government has unveiled a new subsidy scheme for 8 renewable power projects totalling 4,548 MW. The projects have been offered under Contracts for Difference (CfD), which form part of Government’s world leading Electricity Market Reform programme. Under CfDs, generators and developers receive a fixed strike price for the electricity they produce for 15 years. They include offshore wind farms (3,184 MW), coal to biomass conversions (1,065 MW, including 645 MW Drax Unit-1 in Selby and 420 MW at Lynemouth in Ashington) and a dedicated biomass plant with combined heat and power (299 MW Teesside project developed by MGT Power in Middlesbrough). Offshore wind projects consist of DONG Energy's 1,200 MW Hornsea-1, 660 MW Walney Extension, and 258 MW Burbo Bank Extension, of 664 MW Beatrice project in Scotland, and of 402 MW Dudgeon project. Once built, the successful projects will contribute around 15 TWh or 14% of the renewable electricity expected to come forward by 2020.
The decision to grant a CfD contract (£105/MWh) to Drax Unit-1 but not to the Drax Unit-3 conversion project prompted Drax to start legal proceedings against this decision.
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