New planning for offshore wind energy: 21 gigawatts in 2032

New wind farms

The Letter to Parliament sets out the schedule for the permit tenders and commissioning of all new wind farms up to and including 2032. Until 2027, wind farm developers can apply for permits from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) for wind farms with a total of approximately 15 GW of wind energy. This includes the permits for the IJmuiden Ver Wind Farm Sites Alpha and Beta, the winners of which will probably be known in June.

Developers will be building new wind farms in the North Sea until 2032. Together with existing wind farms and wind farms currently under construction, we will reach 21 GW at the end of 2032. The full schedule is in the table below.

Challenges for offshore wind energy

There are several challenges that always arise when realising plans for offshore wind energy. For example, think of:

• Taking nature and environment into account (ecology).
• Spatial integration of offshore wind energy in connection with mining.
• Other activities in the North Sea, such as fishing, shipping and defense.

The Letter to Parliament contains 3 reasons for the adjusted planning.

Lead time of grid connections

It is taking longer than expected to complete the spatial procedures for the grid connections in the Doordewind, Nederwiek (noord) and Hollandse Kust (west) Wind Farm Zones (WFZs). These zones are included in the tender schedule, but have been pushed back. This is also because the cables to the Doordewind WFZ cross the Wadden Sea. This brings spatial challenges.

Parts for grid connections

Companies that supply components for grid connections cannot meet increasing global demand. This will delay delivery of the electricity (substation) platforms for Nederwiek WFS II and IJmuiden Ver WFS Gamma by one year.

Connecting wind farms to the electricity grid

In addition, more time is needed to connect large wind farms of approximately 2 GW to the offshore electricity grid. That is why the new schedule gives future developers extra time to connect these wind farms. This means the delivery date of the wind farms is being pushed back.

New Development Framework

The adjusted planning schedule also leads to a new Development Framework for Offshore Wind Energy. The Development Framework sets out the conditions for design, construction, operation and service life of the offshore electricity grid. As choices for the design of the offshore grid have a direct influence on the wind farms, the clarity the Development Framework provides in advance is important. The new Development Framework is available on the RVO page Aanlanding windenergie op zee: van zee naar land (in Dutch).

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