Confidence in long term support as AR8 window closes

The application window for the AR8 allocation window has now closed with results set to be announced as early as late November.

The budget will be decided after applications have been assessed, with industry hopes high that it will build on the success of AR7 which attracted record-breaking levels of private investment.

In a recent interview Chris Stark, the head of the UK’s Mission for Clean Power, said AR8 is likely to be the last chance to secure large-scale renewables capacity that could come online in time for 2030.

However he also stressed that although the current focus is on the upcoming auction, the UK is committed to long-term support for renewables through the mechanism.

“There’ll be an AR8, an AR9 and an AR10 after it, right. And the world continues after 2030 believe it or not,” he told the Renews podcast.

“So, we keep our pedal to the metal on this, but in terms of our ability to bring on large scale stuff by 2030 then AR8 is the last roll of the dice more or less.”

In the interview Stark also addressed the issue of grid charging in Scotland which is led to some projects being paused. He said rather than using a ‘sticking plaster’ solution it was felt better to follow the wider use of system charging reform process underway through reformed national pricing and the spatial energy plan.

Energy UK has said AR8 represents an opportunity to drive down energy bills for customers, as well as provide confidence for developers, investors and supply chains to invest.