In order to keep offshore wind energy attractive and affordable in the future, the license period for Dutch offshore wind farms to be tendered will be adjusted from 30 to a maximum of 40 years.
To make the longer permit period possible, an amendment to the Dutch Offshore Wind Energy Act will be submitted before the summer.
The construction of offshore wind farms is an important pillar of climate and energy policy in the Nethrlands. The Borssele wind farm alone, which supplied the first electricity to the grid last month, will account for an amount of electricity equal to the consumption of 2 million households from the beginning of 2021. The importance of meeting the 2030 targets for offshore wind energy is great, so it remains a point of attention to keep the roll-out of offshore wind attractive and affordable in the future. The longer license period for wind farms that are yet to be tendered should contribute to this: long-term security contributes to a robust business case because wind farm developers are assured of electricity sales for a longer period and have more time to earn back investments.
For wind farms for which the permit has already been granted, an extension of the permit can be applied for after approximately 20 years.