The UK government has awarded contracts for a record 8.4 GW of offshore wind capacity in its Contracts for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round 7 (AR7), describing the outcome as Europe’s biggest offshore wind auction. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said the contracted capacity is equivalent to powering more than 12 million homes and is expected to unlock around £22 billion of private investment.
For the heavy-lift and heavy marine transport supply chain, the AR7 volume matters because offshore wind construction is characterized by large, repetitive lifts and long logistics chains. Fixed-bottom projects require transport and installation of foundations, transition pieces, and offshore substations, alongside turbine components that increasingly push the limits of crane capacity and deck strength. Floating wind adds a different workload profile, typically shifting more fabrication and integration activity into ports before tow-out.
DESNZ reported a blended average strike price for fixed-bottom offshore wind of £90.91/MWh (in 2024 prices), with £91.20/MWh for England and Wales and £89.49/MWh for Scotland. The strike price for floating offshore wind in AR7 was stated as £216.46/MWh.
The government also highlighted that winning projects span multiple UK regions, including new fixed-bottom awards in the North Sea and developments linked to the Celtic Sea for floating wind. For ports and marine contractors, this geographic spread can translate into parallel demand for laydown space, load-out capability, marshalling capacity, and project cargo movements—especially for heavy steel structures and electrical infrastructure.
