Dutch Zero Subsidy Offshore Wind Tender Open for Applications

The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl) has opened a tender to build and operate offshore wind farms without subsidies at the Hollandse Kust (zuid) III and IV zones in the Dutch North Sea.

The application period opened on 1 March and will run until 5 pm local time on Thursday, 14 March 2019.

After the closure of the tender procedure for the Hollandse Kust (zuid) III and IV, RVO.nl will announce whether any permit applications have been received.

If this is not the case, a procedure with the option of subsidies will be initiated shortly thereafter. Where applications have been received, RVO.nl will proceed to assess those applications.

In 2018, the permits for the Hollandse Kust (zuid) I and II were awarded to Vattenfall. The Swedish company said that it will participate in the zero-subsidy tender for Hollandse Kust (zuid) III and IV as well.

This is the fifth call for tenders for offshore wind energy in the Netherlands since the Energy Agreement came into force. Construction of the offshore wind farms in the Borssele wind farm zone will start at the end of 2019. TenneT is currently installing the offshore electricity grid.

The Offshore Wind Energy Roadmap 2030, published in 2018, confirmed that three additional wind farm zone sites have been designated in the Dutch North Sea. The Roadmap outlines the steps that will enable the Netherlands to achieve a cumulative total of 11.5GW of installed offshore wind capacity in the North Sea.