The UK’s critical clean power auction, Allocation Round 7 (AR7), has been delayed to the third of five scheduled timelines after developers appealed decisions deeming some applications ineligible, according to industry sources and reports.
At least one developer in both the AR7 offshore wind round and the AR7a process for onshore technologies has filed appeals against eligibility rulings, pushing back the auction schedule.
The revised timetable sets the sealed bidding between November 11-17, with results expected between January 16-19, 2026. This represents a delay from the earlier timelines, where results would have been published before Christmas.
If a so-called Tier 2 non-qualifying review is triggered, the bidding window could move further to January 5-9, with results delayed until February 25-26, 2026.
The appeals have caused frustration among developers, who had hoped the auction design—split into offshore and onshore rounds—would prevent delays seen in previous auctions.
The subscriber-only publication reNEWS first reported the appeals and detailed efforts by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and his team to manage the auction timeline in response.
Industry sources said, “Developers are frustrated that appeals have been lodged in the offshore round given part of the rationale for splitting the auctions was to avoid such instances that have held up previous auctions.”
The delay could have implications for bidders if the auction extends into the next year, affecting project planning and financing timelines.
The UK government has prioritized the AR7 auctions as a vital mechanism to secure clean power capacity needed for the country’s net-zero targets.
