Dutch Gov’t to Launch Next Offshore Wind Tender in September 2025, Postpones Procedure for One Site

November 21, 2024, by Adrijana Buljan

The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) has published draft regulations and plot decisions for the offshore wind tender for the IJmuiden Ver Gamma and Nederwiek I areas and said that the government would open the tendering procedure in September 2025. Previously planned as a 4 GW, four-site tender, the procedure will offer three sites as one is being put on hold.

Earlier this year, the Dutch Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth split the IJmuiden Ver Gamma and Nederwiek I areas into four smaller 1 GW sites, previously planned to be offered as two 2 GW sites, to reduce the financial risks for offshore wind farm developers.

This September, RVO said it expected the permit application window to open and close by the end of the third quarter of 2025, and to publish the details of this permit round in the fourth quarter of 2024.

On 21 November, RVO published the draft documents and said the tender would be launched in September 2025 with the exact opening and closing date to be announced at the beginning of 2025.

In January 2025, offshore wind developers and other stakeholders who wish to respond to the draft regulations can enter into discussions with the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth. The feedback may lead to adjustments in the final permit regulations, which will probably be published in March or April 2025.

The tender was initially planned to offer 4 GW across two sites, IJmuiden Ver Gamma and Nederwiek I, which were later split into four 1 GW sites: IJmuiden Ver Gamma-A, IJmuiden Ver Gamma-B, Nederwiek IA and Nederwiek IB.

Now, RVO informed that the permitting procedure for the Nederwiek IB site is being postponed, meaning the upcoming tender will award 3 GW of offshore wind capacity across the three sites.

The postponement of the Nededrwiek IB tender came as further examination is needed because it is in proximity to a gas platform transit area. Research is still being conducted into how helicopters can safely reach this platform with a wind farm nearby, according to RVO.