Renewable energy: Failed auction - authority adjusts lake wind farm areas

After the failed auction of North Sea wind power areas last year, the authority responsible for lake areas has adjusted the planning again.

The change to the 2025 area development plan is intended to improve the conditions for new wind farms, as the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) announced. The BSH is Germany's central maritime authority.

According to the announcement, BSH President Helge Heegewaldt said: “When it comes to offshore wind energy, it’s not just how much power is installed on an area that counts.” Efficiency is also crucial. “That’s why we give the systems more space and thus reduce mutual shading.”

The space in the German North and Baltic Seas is limited. Industry associations and companies point out that operating wind turbines can become uneconomical if they have to be installed too close to each other. Because that can reduce the electricity yield.

Land auction failed

In August last year it became known that the areas N-10.1 and N-10.2 had not been auctioned off at a Federal Network Agency auction. According to information from industry associations, this was the first time that an auction of offshore wind power areas in Germany failed.

The BSH's changes also affect area N-10, for which no buyer was recently found. The area will be enlarged and divided into three areas. «The offshore wind turbines can be planned at larger intervals. This makes it possible to make better use of the existing wind,” said the BSH.

The expansion law should be changed

By 2045, Germany wants to achieve an output of 70 gigawatts in the North and Baltic Seas. The total output of the systems was around 10.8 gigawatts at the end of the first half of the year, as the Federal Offshore Wind Energy Association announced.

According to an announcement, the Bundestag will deal with an amendment to the offshore wind energy law, which is crucial for the expansion, on Thursday. Business associations and the metal industry union called for improvements in an appeal and warned of a downturn in the industry.