Dutch Gov’t Shelves Two Offshore Wind Tenders, Plans Single Site Auction

May 19, 2025, by Adnan Memija

Citing deteriorating market conditions, the Dutch government has delayed tenders for two offshore wind farms and will instead open a tender for one location in the North Sea later this year.

The tenders for IJmuiden Ver Gamma-A and IJmuiden Ver Gamma-B were scheduled for the third quarter of this year. However, due to deteriorating market conditions and decreased demand for electricity, the two sites will be tendered later, said the government.

The Dutch government plans to open a tender for the Nederwiek I-A site, located 95 kilometres from the west coast of Texel, in October 2025. The site is part of a larger area within the Nederwiek Wind Farm Zone.

tender sites Nederwiek I-A — *Source: The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO)*

Initially, the Nederwiek I-A site was planned to accommodate a 2 GW offshore wind farm, but the site size was decreased to 1 GW. This is said to reduce the investment required per site and the financial risks for wind farm developers.

Dutch Gov’t Splits Offshore Wind Areas for Upcoming Tender Into Four 1 GW Sites

Planning & Permitting

In addition, the government has eased the rules and criteria for the upcoming tender by capping the maximum liability for developers during the first two years after a permit is awarded. Within that period, developers may request the minister to revoke the permit in exchange for the bank guarantee if market conditions prove too unfavorable to proceed with the project.

To reduce application costs for developers, the ranking criteria for bid assessment have been simplified, according to the Dutch Climate Ministry.

The government said it is working on an action plan for offshore wind that can improve the investment climate. Financial support instruments will be considered, such as a minimum and maximum price guarantee (Contract for Difference) from 2027 onwards, the government added.

At the beginning of this year, the Dutch Ministry of Climate and Green Growth announced that it is exploring which procedure to choose for the permitting of the Nederwiek II and Nederwiek III offshore wind sites that are planned to be put out to tender in 2026.

The 2026 offshore wind tender in the Netherlands will be held for three sites, Nederwiek IB, Nederwiek II, and Nederwiek III.