Subsea Micropiles' CCO gives his perspective on AR7

The following press release was written and submitted by Subsea Micropiles:

The announcement of the UK Government’s Contracts for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round 7 (AR7) was widely welcomed, and for a good reason. Securing 8.4 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity, the largest single procurement of offshore wind to date in the UK and Europe, AR7 represents a significant step towards meeting the UK’s net-zero and energy security ambitions. It is expected to power millions of homes and unlock around £22 billion of private investment.

But while AR7 is rightly being celebrated as a success, it also marks a turning point, particularly for floating offshore wind. Because now, the real work begins.

The team at Subsea Micropiles has been following the progress of AR7 closely over the last year, with a strong interest in supporting both fixed and floating wind projects. As Mark Williamson, Chief Commercial Officer at Subsea Micropiles, explains, “What feels like a positive step forward for the floating wind sector is also the point where ambition must translate into execution.”

With more than 25 years of operational and commercial experience across the energy sector, delivering complex integrated solutions in the marine and subsea sectors, Mark sees AR7 as symbolic.

“Seeing two commercial demonstration scale floating projects being award CfD, is exactly what the industry and the north east needs to build confidence and momentum. As execution teams start to grow and real-life offshore operational challenges come into focus, that shift itself is refreshing,” Mark comments.

“AR7 represents more than just an auction result, it’s symbolic. It represents a moment for the floating wind industry and, we hope, the first tangible step toward turning the long-term floating wind vision into reality.

We congratulate the Pentland and Eribus projects on securing CfDs and wish them every success in the journey ahead,” commented Mark.

As the industry moves from auction to action the ability to reduce uncertainty early from seabed survey through to construction, will be critical in enabling robust, investable projects and successful Final Investment Decisions (FID). This is where Subsea Micropiles is focused, and look forward to working closely with project teams to help reduce risk and cost.

AR7 has set the direction. What happens next will define the future of offshore wind.