The European Commission approved, on Wednesday 21 December, amendments to a German scheme to support offshore wind energy generation in Germany (German Offshore Wind Energy Act - ‘WindSeeG’).
This scheme complements the German Renewable Energy Act (see other news) and will further contribute to achieving Germany's energy and environmental targets and the EU’s strategic objectives relating to the European Green Deal.
Germany notified the following amendments to the scheme, with a total budget of €1.5 billion: - an increase of expansion targets for installed capacity of offshore wind energy installations (from 20 GW to at least 30 GW by 2030, to at least 40 GW by 2035 and from 40 GW to at least 70 GW by 2040); - a new tender procedure for a different type of site in the German Exclusive Economic Zone allowing offshore wind electricity producers to bid for sites that have not been centrally pre-investigated by the German government.
With this new procedure, Germany expects to increase and speed up offshore wind development.
The modified scheme will remain in force until the end of 2026. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)