Policy

Why are we waiting? Wind sector tells officials to get results out faster

German industry already waiting seven weeks for latest onshore tendering round outcome

Klaus Müller, president of Germany's federal grids agency (BNetzA).
Klaus Müller, president of Germany's federal grids agency (BNetzA).Photo: Bundesnetzagentur
European Editor, Recharge

Germany’s federal networks agency (BNetzA) has been increasingly slow to announce wind tender results, leading the sector there to warn of a potential delay to projects.

Seven weeks after the last tendering round for 3.4GW in onshore wind capacity closed for bids, the agency still hasn’t presented its outcome, the Wind Energy Federation (BWE) lamented.

Also, the BNetzA after holding a negative bidding auction for 1GW in far-offshore capacity yesterday, didn’t issue a press release and previously told Recharge to check its website instead.

Germany's Offshore Wind Federation (BWO), which represents operators, said it had received the information about the tender outcome first from its member companies.

"Wind energy has been showing increasing momentum for several years. The first [4.1GW onshore] tendering round of the year was oversubscribed. The continued high authorisation volume means that we can expect a high level of participation in all tendering rounds this year,” BWE president Bärbel Heidebroek said, adding: “The Federal Network Agency must prepare for this.”
The slow processing time and lack of clarity coincide with the start of the new government under conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz, for whom the energy transition seems to have lesser importance.

The BWE criticised the fact that already in previous tendering rounds it took at least two months before results were announced.

“This delays the realisation of the projects. Despite all understanding for the significantly increased workload on the part of the BNetzA due to the increasing number of authorisations and greater participation, it is increasingly incomprehensible that countermeasures do not seem to be succeeding here,” Heidebroek said.

“Two-month processing times must not become the norm."

(Copyright)

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Published 17 June 2025, 07:46Updated 17 June 2025, 09:28
EuropeGermanyBNetzAwind