Germany will auction 4 GW of offshore wind capacity across five sites in the North Sea in 2027, following changes to the country’s development plan.
The German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) has published the second amendment to the 2025 Site Development Plan (Flächenentwicklungsplan, FEP), revising the layout and timing of several areas designated for offshore wind development.
The changes focus particularly on the N-10 area in the German North Sea, which has been expanded and divided into three sites: N-10.1, N-10.2 and N-10.3.
The BSH said the revised plan provides the planning basis for tenders, with five sites totalling 4 GW in capacity to be put up for auction by the Federal Network Agency in 2027: N-10.1, N-10.2, N-10.3, N-13.1 and N-13.2.
The Site Development Plan amendment also postpones the auctions and commissioning of sites N-12.4 and N-12.5 until further notice, allowing neighbouring wind farms to make better use of available wind resources. The auction and commissioning schedule for site N-6.8 has been moved back by two years to 2030.
BSH President Helge Heegewaldt said offshore wind planning must consider not only the installed capacity of a site but also how efficiently that capacity can be used. The revised spacing aims to reduce wake effects between turbines and wind farms.
The revised plan follows the August 2025 auction for sites N-10.1 and N-10.2, which offered 2.5 GW but attracted no bids. The government postponed the next tender for these sites to 2027 while work continued on reforming the offshore wind auction framework.
The German Offshore Wind Energy Association (BWO) welcomed the amendment, highlighting the expanded N-10 area, smaller site layouts and a stronger focus on energy yield and efficient use of sea space.
BWO Managing Director Stefan Thimm said the revised planning could improve project economics and create better conditions for competition and a wider range of market participants. The association called for the design of the upcoming tenders to support these objectives, proposing a maximum of one award per bidder in each auction round.
The BWO also called for a single model based on contracts for difference (CfDs), effective indexation and conditions that support competition, investment and project delivery.
Germany aims to reach 40 GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2035 and 70 GW by 2045. The BSH said the country currently has 11.49 GW installed.