German government proposes changes to offshore wind act

• 2 hours ago (2026-08-20)
• Junior Isles

Offshore wind 134

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Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) has opened consultation on a draft amendment to the Wind Energy at Sea Act (WindSeeG), proposing changes to the country’s offshore wind tender system, including bilateral Contracts for Difference (CfDs) and a longer standard operating period for new wind farms.

The wind industry welcomed the German government’s draft law reform for the Offshore Wind Energy Act, which sticks to the country's target of expanding offshore wind capacity to at least 70 GW by 2045. It settles a period of uncertainty in the sector after economy minister Katherina Reiche said Germany "requires changes to offshore wind power capacities" following the publication of a government report assessing the energy transition.

The draft now includes annual tenders ranging from 2 to 4.8 GW, the introduction of two-way CfDs, and a standard operating time of 35 years – as opposed to 25 years – for new offshore farms.

The German Offshore Wind Energy Association (BWO) welcomed the inclusion of bilateral CfDs in the draft, but said the proposed mechanism should be available as part of the tender design rather than being a “fallback option”, only activated if a project fails to attract a developer willing to proceed without price hedging.

BWO and other industry organisations had already called for CfDs as part of a reform of Germany’s offshore wind auctions. In November 2025, the associations also called for long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) and an extension of the operating period for new offshore wind farms to 35 years, which the new amendment now includes.