Wind industry welcomes German govt plan to stick to long-term offshore wind target
Clean Energy Wire
The wind industry has welcomed the German government’s draft law reform for the Offshore Wind Energy Act, which sticks to the country's target of expanding offshore wind capacity to at least 70 gigawatts (GW) by 2045. The draft bill – opened today for industry consultation – settled a period of uncertainty in the sector after economy minister Katherina Reiche said Germany "requires changes to offshore wind power capacities" following the publication of a government report assessing the energy transition.
The draft now includes annual tenders ranging from 2 to 4.8 GW, the introduction of two-way contracts for difference (CfDs), and a standard operating time of 35 years – as opposed to 25 years – for new offshore farms.
The Federal Association of Offshore Wind Energy (BWO) welcomed key elements of the draft, including the introduction of CfDs and the extension of the standard operating life of farms, yet they called for further improvements to tender design. “Offshore wind farms are multi-billion-euro projects with long implementation times,” said Stefan Thimm, managing director of BWO. “The tender design must therefore make risks manageable – not reward those who are willing to take the greatest risks.”
The BWO reiterated their call for the introduction of a legal mechanism for the voluntary return and rapid retendering of offshore wind energy sites to limit non-implementation cases early on in order to avoid years of blocked sites. Media reported in May that energy companies TotalEnergies and BP were seeking to quit major offshore wind projects in Germany which they had in 2023 agreed to run without subsidies, with TotalEnergies reportedly arguing that slow grid connections and a deteriorating economic environment prompted the decision.
“When multi-billion-euro projects remain in limbo for years and ultimately are not built, we lose valuable time,” said Thimm. “An orderly conclusion followed by a rapid retender is better than a disorderly failure after years.”
Renewables covered a record 58 percent of German electricity consumption in 2026, with offshore wind a main driver of growth. By mid-2026, the country had installed almost 11 gigawatts of offshore wind power.