Wind Energy – Auction
German energy regulator Bundesnetzagentur has launched an auction for four new offshore wind sites in the North Sea and the Baltic with a combined capacity of 7GW.
The auction will be held using a ‘dynamic’ bidding process whereby bids as low as zero cents per kilowatt hour will be considered.
If multiple bids are tied for the lowest value, the bidder with the greatest willingness to pay will be awarded the lease.
This so-called ‘negative bidding’ arrangement for auctions has been consistently criticized by the wind industry in the past.
Up for tender are three sites in the North Sea, around 120km northwest of Heligoland – each with a 2GW capacity. An additional 1GW site in the Baltic Sea is located about 25km off the coast of Rügen Island.
The Federal Network Agency said the tender marked an important step towards Germany achieving its offshore expansion goal of 30GW by 2030.
The agency confirmed that there is no preliminary investigation of the proposed sites that would typically analyse the marine environment, subsoil and meteorological conditions.
