TO BE PUBLISHED May 2026
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This conference will examine next steps for UK offshore wind.
Areas for discussion include future Contracts for Difference auctions and market reform, delivery conditions for projects awarded contracts, planning and infrastructure across the offshore wind pipeline, supply chain and workforce capacity, and priorities for grid investment and system planning.
Following the Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 7 results allocating contracts for 8.4GW of offshore wind capacity - and with the Government aiming to quadruple offshore wind capacity to 43-50 GW by 2030 - attendees will assess progress towards the ambitions set out in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan. They will consider implications for moving contracted projects through development and into construction, including factors affecting delivery conditions and investor confidence, as well as the practical requirements for translating auction outcomes into operational capacity as part of the UK’s wider energy transition.
Overall, the conference will bring together key stakeholders and policymakers to consider priorities for delivering offshore wind projects at scale, alongside implications for industrial strategy, supply chain development, environmental protection and longer term market confidence. Discussion will draw on lessons emerging from AR7, including the role of the Clean Industry Bonus and the Fair Work Charter in influencing supply chain participation, workforce standards and delivery certainty ahead of future allocation rounds.
Contracts for Difference & auction reform
The agenda examines changes to auction design, eligibility and budget setting - including the removal of default bids and the introduction of anonymised sealed‑bid visibility - ahead of AR8 and the pathway to Clean Power 2030. Delegates will assess possible approaches to auction design and contract parameters that can best support securing sufficient capacity while maintaining confidence on value for money for consumers and providing clearer signals for investors and project developers.
Further discussion is expected on proposals emerging from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s consultation on refinements to future rounds. Attendees will consider how factors such as contract length, strike price settings and budget parameters may influence project viability and delivery timelines, alongside the proposed introduction of a technology category for Other Deepwater Offshore Wind and the implications for floating and other emerging technologies.
Project pipelines, planning & infrastructure
Discussion will assess the current status of offshore wind project pipelines, including issues affecting project progression from leasing and consent through to construction. Delegates will consider the implications of AR7 outcomes for sequencing and competition across projects, as well as how concerns raised by stakeholders might be addressed regarding pipeline congestion, project viability and the interaction between leasing rounds, consent processes and future CfD allocation rounds.
Sessions will examine implementation of Marine Spatial Planning and evolving compensation frameworks following the Offshore Wind Environmental Compensatory Measures Reforms consultation. Areas for discussion include managing interactions with fishing, shipping and protected areas, alongside environmental impact assessment requirements and the interpretation of compensation obligations across regulators.
The agenda also looks ahead to the role of floating offshore wind within the medium‑term pipeline. Delegates will consider priorities for progressing infrastructure and port readiness, alongside consenting arrangements and the implications of multi‑stage Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects and marine licensing processes - as well as proposals for contractual adjustments intended to support emerging technologies in advance of AR8.
Project delivery, funding & capacity
Further discussion will focus on supply chain capacity, workforce readiness and the role of public and private investment in sustaining delivery beyond the current allocation round.
Attendees will consider the potential impact on addressing manufacturing constraints off initiatives such as the removal of tarriffs on offshore wind energy components recently announce by the government - as well as Great British Energy’s Supply Chain Fund: Offshore Wind and Networks, the National Wealth Fund and the Offshore Wind Industrial Growth Plan - and what more might be done to support infrastructure needs and investment. Discussion will also consider measures under the Clean Energy Jobs Plan and the Offshore Wind Industry Council’s People and Skills Plan aimed at addressing sector‑wide workforce gaps.
Sessions will explore the role of the Clean Industry Bonus in supporting accelerated offshore wind deployment, including the implications of ongoing reform aimed at strengthening domestic supply chain participation. The Fair Work Charter will also be examined, including considerations for employment standards and workforce conditions across offshore wind supply chains.
Grid capacity & investment
Sessions will examine priorities for converting contracted capacity into delivered projects, looking at questions around grid access, connections reform and network readiness. Delegates will consider how sequencing and implementation timelines for grid infrastructure may affect project delivery, including the impact of curtailment risks and connection delays on project viability and investment decisions.
Further discussion will assess the role of wider electricity market and system reforms - including the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan - in providing clearer signals for infrastructure development and coordinating investment decisions across generation and network assets. Delegates will also look at the implications of Transmission Network Use of System charge reform for siting and investment decisions.
Attendees will also examine next steps for the National Energy System Operator’s approach to queue management, offshore network planning and progress on the Holistic Network Design. Discussion will consider the transition towards the Centralised Strategic Network Plan and what coordinated planning frameworks may be required to support timely delivery across different regions.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, NI; Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; Department for the Economy, NI; Department for Education; Department for Business and Trade; Ministry of Defence; Ofgem; Planning Inspectorate; National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority; Climate Change Committee; Environment Agency; Great British Energy; Maritime and Coastguard Agency; Marine Management Organisation; Health and Safety Executive; National Cyber Security Centre; National Wealth Fund; Office for Investment; the Welsh Government; and The Scottish Government.
