The Netherlands to extend offshore wind licences to 40 years

The Netherlands intends to extend the licences for new offshore wind projects from 30 to 40 years, according to Eric Wiebes, the country’s Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy.

In a letter sent to the Dutch Parliament, Minister Wiebes said that the extended licences will allow the developers of the future wind farms in the Dutch North Sea to adjust their business plans by extending the operating lifetimes of the projects and their grid connection permits.

The developers and operators of the existing offshore wind farms, of those currently under construction, or of those for which the tendering procedure is ongoing will also be able to apply for an extension to their operating licence.

These projects will be able to apply for an extension 20 years after the start of the original licence, Minister Wiebes said.

These amendments to the country’s Offshore Wind Energy Act are expected to be introduced in the Parliament this summer, Minister Wiebes said.

The Ministry and the transmission system operator TenneT are currently exploring if the grid connections of the wind farms that have just been built or are currently under construction can extend their operating lifetimes by about five years in a cost-effective manner.

If this is the case, and the amendments are adopted, Minister Wiebes will instruct TenneT to take into account the extended licence periods.

The Netherlands plans to have 11.5 GW of operating offshore wind capacity by 2030.