The UK Will Add 1.9 Gigawatts Of Solar PV Capacity in 2025

 

The UK will add 1.9 gigawatts of solar PV capacity in 2025, with Contracts for Difference (CFDs) driving the construction of large-scale ground-mounted solar PV plants.

 

The latest data from the UK government shows that solar PV capacity reached 20.7 gigawatts by the end of October 2025, a 10.4% increase in 12 months. The number of large-scale ground-mounted solar PV projects supported by CFDs surged in 2025, with more projects in the pipeline.

 

The 373-megawatt Clift Hill solar PV plant, connected to the grid in July 2025, became the UK's largest operating solar PV project to date, contributing nearly 2 gigawatts of new capacity in the 12 months to October. The 111-megawatt capacity added in October 2025 involved 25,470 installations, bringing the cumulative addition for the first 10 months to 1.78 gigawatts. While residential solar PV installations dominate in the UK, they only account for 30% of total capacity. Ground-mounted solar PV, certified through Renewable Energy Obligations (REO), feed-in tariffs (Feed-in Tariffs), and CFDs, account for 8.2 gigawatts, or 40% of total capacity.

 

Data from the Ministry of Energy Security and Net-Zero Emissions shows that 18 large-scale photovoltaic (PV) power plants backed by contracts for difference (CFDs) are currently operational, with 16 of them scheduled to come online in 2025. Since July 2024, the pipeline of utility-scale PV projects approved as major national infrastructure projects has grown significantly. On November 26, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that over three years, starting in April 2026, the government will cover three-quarters of the renewable energy obligation costs for household electricity bills through general taxation.