Germany Launches Another Offshore Wind Tender, Qualitative Criteria Introduced

February 27, 2023, by Adnan Durakovic

Germany’s Federal Network Agency has launched another offshore wind tender, this one for 1,800 MW of capacity to be developed across four centrally pre-examined areas in the North Sea.

Illustration; Borkum Riffgrund 2 offshore wind farm in Germany; Photo source: Ørsted

This is in addition to the tender for 7 GW of capacity in areas that had not been centrally pre-examined launched at the end of January.

“The tenders are another important building block for the expansion of offshore wind energy,” said Klaus Müller, President of the Federal Network Agency.

“The areas have already been pre-examined and can therefore supply electricity as early as 2028.”

The four areas are located in the vicinity of existing wind farms. Two of the areas with a total generation capacity of 900 MW are located in the so-called N-3 area, approximately 35 kilometres north of Norderney. The two other areas with a planned generation capacity of 900 MW are located in the N-6 area, some 90 kilometres north-west of Borkum.

The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency has pre-examined the areas on behalf of the Federal Network Agency.

Essential information, for example about the marine environment, the subsoil and the wind and oceanographic conditions, was collected. These will be made available to all interested parties as part of the call for applications. Successful bidders no longer have to carry out these investigations themselves afterwards.

Qualitative Criteria

The award is based on a statutory point system. Up to 60 points are awarded for the bid value, which reflects the bidder’s willingness to pay.

In addition, the so-called qualitative criteria are also used, which are to be tested for the first time in the offshore wind sector.

The proportion of electricity from renewable energy sources in the manufacture of wind turbines, the proportion of trainees, the use of particularly environmentally friendly foundation methods and the scope of long-term electricity supplies to third parties are evaluated.

A total of up to 35 points is awarded for the qualitative criteria. 90 per cent of the payments made by the successful bidder go towards reducing electricity costs, five per cent each towards marine conservation and the promotion of environmentally friendly fishing.

Bids must be submitted by 1 August 2023. After the bids have been checked and the award procedure has been carried out, the bidders will be informed of the decision and the tender results will be published.

Anyone who is awarded the contract has the right to apply to the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency for planning permission to develop offshore wind farms in the areas.