Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) opened its association hearing on the draft bill for the 2026 amendment to the Offshore Wind Energy Act (WindSeeG) on 10 August. The draft keeps the goal of at least 70 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2045 and sets an annual tender path of between 2,000 and 4,800 megawatts.
Two changes stand out. The bill would introduce two-sided contracts for difference (CfDs) as a hedging instrument for offshore wind, and it would extend the standard operating life of new offshore wind farms from 25 to 35 years. It would also open the door to cross-border cooperation projects.
The Offshore Wind Energy Association (BWO) welcomed the core of the draft but said the auction design still needs work. Its main objection is the proposed two-stage tender model, under which the CfD would only apply once no company is willing to build a project without price protection. The association argues that a hedge should not become a last resort.
“With the CfD, the draft takes an important step in the right direction,” said BWO managing director Stefan Thimm. “What matters now is that the protection is reliably available from the outset, and does not only kick in when nobody is willing to carry the full market risk any more. Offshore wind farms are billion-euro projects with long lead times. The auction design must therefore make risks manageable, not reward whoever is prepared to take the biggest risks.”
The reform lands after a run of weak German offshore auctions, including rounds that drew no bids at all. The BWO also renewed its call for a one-time return mechanism for projects awarded between 2023 and 2025, a proposal it first made in May: a developer handing back an award would forfeit payments already made, be barred from re-bidding, and have to share its site survey results. The association said it will now examine the draft in detail with its member companies and submit its response within the consultation period.
For the Baltic, where Germany is expanding offshore capacity alongside its North Sea projects, the design of the auction system matters well beyond German waters. A predictable tender path and reliable revenue protection are what turbine makers, ports, vessel operators and suppliers across the region need to commit capacity.
