Government adjusts requirements for new offshore wind farm
In October this year, companies can compete for the permit for the construction and operation of a new wind farm in the North Sea. For Nederwiek Wind Farm Site I-A, the tender criteria havexx` been adjusted to improve the business case for offshore wind. The Ministry of Climate and Green Growth is taking these measures to make the upcoming tender round more attractive and to allow the construction of offshore wind farms to proceed at a realistic pace.
Offshore wind energy is indispensable in our current and future energy system. It is a relatively affordable and highly scalable source of clean energy. The Government has therefore designated Site Nederwiek I-A for the next offshore wind farm. This wind farm will have a capacity of 1 gigawatt (GW), which accounts for about 3.5% of Dutch electricity consumption.
Fewer sites and relaxation of registration requirements
Sites IJmuiden Ver (IJV) Gamma-A and Gamma-B (2 x 1 GW) were also planned for this tender round. Due to deteriorating market conditions for offshore wind energy projects, partly due to lack of large-scale demand for electricity, IJV Gamma-A and -B will be tendered later.
The rules and criteria are also being relaxed for the Nederwiek I-A tender. In September 2024, it was already announced that the site size will be reduced from 2 GW to 1 GW. This reduces the investment required per site and the financial risks for wind farm developers. The maximum liability for a wind farm developer is also limited in the first two years of the permit. During that period, the wind farm developer can ask the Minister to revoke the permit upon payment of the bank guarantee. For example, if market conditions are too bad to continue with development of the wind farm.
In addition, the Government has simplified the ranking criteria used to assess the wind farm developer’s bid. These criteria encourage parties to innovate in areas such as ecology or circularity. By simplifying, costs to wind farm developers for applying these innovations can be reduced. Moreover, the voluntary financial offer now only has to be paid from operation of the wind farm, instead of from when the permit is granted.
Integration of wind farms and mining platforms
For the Nederwiek I-A site, a customised process has been completed for the first time to ensure safe accessibility by helicopter of the nearby K13-A gas platform. Research shows that the operation on K13-A will not be compromised and there is therefore space for both the wind farm and the gas mining platform in this part of the North Sea. The customised process in the IJV Gamma-B site has also yielded a positive outcome, whereby smart and space-saving solutions continue to provide the opportunity of tapping into new gas reserves. The amended Wind Farm Site Decision will be published shortly. This is a first milestone in customised offshore solutions for combining wind farms and gas extraction, both priorities for the Government.
Offshore Wind Action Plan
The deteriorating market conditions require a Government that helps the market through this phase. The Government is therefore working on an action plan for offshore wind energy that can improve the investment climate for offshore wind and at the same time the investment climate for electrification by its customers. For the period from 2027 onwards, financial support instruments will also be considered, such as a minimum and maximum price guarantee (Contract for Difference).
More information RVO: https://english.rvo.nl/topics/offshore-wind-energy/nederwiek-i-a
On Tuesday June 10, the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth, RVO and transmission system operator TenneT are hosting a webinar to explain the tender procedure for Nederwiek I-A. You can register here: https://english.rvo.nl/events/webinar-on-permit-for-tender-nederwiek-i-a
Originally published at https://www.government.nl/latest/news/2025/05/16/government-adjusts-requirements-for-new-offshore-wind-farm
