Subsidy for offshore wind farms increased for more certainty

Why more subsidy?

The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) is working on the introduction of a feed-in tariff. Through this tariff, energy producers pay for the power they want to transport over the high-voltage grid. This makes the construction of wind farms more expensive and project viability uncertain. The government removes this uncertainty by increasing the subsidy budget and thus increases the chance of a successful permit round for IJV Gamma-A and Gamma-B.

How much subsidy do developers receive?

The government is increasing the subsidy amounts per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity for both wind farms:

• IJmuiden Ver Gamma-A: from € 0.104 to € 0.117 per kWh
• IJmuiden Ver Gamma-B: from € 0.103 to € 0.116 per kWh

The total budget for the IJmuiden Ver Gamma-A and Gamma-B wind farms will thus increase from € 7.896 billion to € 9.456 billion. This amount may be lower if developers can build the wind farm more cheaply. The lower the bid, the better the chance of winning the permit.

Electricity from 2032

Developers can apply for a subsidy and permit for the new wind farms from 26 November to 10 December 2026. The wind farms at IJV Gamma-A and -B are expected to supply electricity from 2032. These wind farms have a combined capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW).

New agreements for offshore wind energy

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy is also working on new agreements to finance offshore wind energy even better in the future:

• Fixed price agreements
  The Government agrees on a fixed price for electricity with companies via a two-way contract (Contract for Difference, CfD). Is the market price lower than the fixed price? Then the developer receives money; the difference between the market price and the fixed price. Is the market price higher? Then the developer pays back the difference. These contracts reduce the risks for developers. A bill for this will be introduced for the summer of 2026.
• Guarantee fund for green electricity
  With the guarantee fund for ‘Corporate Power Purchase Agreements' (CPPA), companies can enter into longer contracts with producers of green electricity. The fund helps companies that want to buy electricity from an offshore wind farm, but cannot bear the risks. For example, if a company cannot afford the electricity, or if the market price of electricity is too low. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate, among others, will then cover part of the costs. This will allow more companies to buy green electricity. The first pilot projects will start in 2027.