Date Set for Next Offshore Wind Tender in the Netherlands, Financial Bids Included

The Government of the Netherlands plans to open the next offshore wind auction for bids on 14 April 2022.

The offshore wind sites to be put out to tender in this round are the Hollandse Kust (west) Sites VI and VII.

The tender will close on 12 May and the winner or winners are expected to be announced shortly after the 2022 summer recess.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy has now published the draft Ministerial Orders for the Hollandse Kust (west) Sites VI and VII which will be available for review until 21 January.

The feedback provided will help the government refine the Ministerial Orders which will then be published in the Government Gazette.

The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl) will hold an online information meeting about the tender and the regulations for the Hollandse Kust (west) wind energy area on 31 January.

The Hollandse Kust (west) Wind Farm Zone (HKWWFZ) is located approximately 28.6 nautical miles (53 kilometres) off the west coast of the Netherlands and comprises two wind farm sites: HKW Wind Farm Site VI and VII.

The total surface area of the sites within the zone, including maintenance and safety zones, is approximately 176 square kilometres.

The maximum number of turbines to be installed at each site is 60, with an individual rated capacity of at least 14 MW.

If the winning bids go for a full build-out, the zones could have a total combined capacity of at least 1,680 MW.

Transmission system operator TenneT will construct two offshore platforms with two grid connections within the zone.

The project or projects are expected to be operational by 2025/26.

This will be the first time a financial bid by a potential developer is added to the selection process.

The financial bid in this tender is capped at EUR 50 million. This means the maximum score for the financial bid is achieved if a party bids EUR 50 million for the permit, RVO said.

A relative number of points is awarded for a lower bid, in steps of EUR 2.5 million per point.