General – Politics
The Netherlands is to abandon the country’s 50GW by 2040 offshore wind target following an assessment of electricity demand growth and ongoing challenges in the offshore sector.
Sophie Hermans, Minister for Climate and Green growth, told parliament in a letter that slower-than-expected electrification rates, rising capex for offshore wind as well as slow development of hydrogen markets mean that ‘realism is needed (in) planning the roll-out of offshore wind energy’.
The decision to roll back the target was presented as part of the North Sea Wind Energy Infrastructure Plan (WIN), which is based on recent market studies and which outlines plans for future decision-making around offshore infrastructure in the Dutch North Sea in the coming years.
The WIN focuses on the period from 2033 onwards. In the shorter term, the government is planning to publish an action plan for offshore wind energy later this year, Hermans said.
