Dutch Gov’t Adjusts North Sea Offshore Wind Plans to Preserve Fisheries

April 30, 2025, by Adnan Memija

The Dutch government has revised its offshore wind plans, scaling back its targets and eliminating one proposed development zone to allow greater access for the fishing industry, according to a new draft amendment to the North Sea Programme.

The target for offshore wind energy has been adjusted from 50 GW to 21 GW. However, there is also room left free for fishing activities in the future wind energy area 6/7, according to the Dutch Fishermen’s Association (Nederlandse Vissersbond).

In the newly designated wind energy area, a zone covering between 1,520 and 1,620 square kilometres will remain free of wind turbines.

This will preserve a catchment area for langoustine, also known as the Norwegian lobster, and allow the current fishing activities in this area to continue.

In 2022, the Dutch government designated three new areas, including Lagerland, for the development of offshore wind farms.

According to the amended plan, the Lagerland area, located west of Texel and Vlieland, has been removed from future offshore wind plans due to its great value for fishing. As a result, this area is no longer designated as a wind energy area. The previous target of 50 GW of wind energy has been postponed to the next North Sea Programme in 2028.

Under its offshore wind roadmap, the Netherlands not only plans the 21 GW of offshore wind in 2032 but it also outlines the path towards adding further capacity after that, with an ultimate goal of reaching a total of 72 GW of offshore wind capacity in the North Sea.

At the beginning of this year, the Dutch Ministry of Climate and Green Growth revealed 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.