The German Wind Energy Association (BWE) and trade union IG Metall have called for urgent action to rebuild confidence in the German offshore wind market, which is faced with a 16-GW ‘hole’ in capacity
In a statement, the BWE and IG Metall said Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy should use the summer recess to work with the industry to “develop a new, reliable tendering system.” They said the goal must be to enable new tenders and awards this year.
Germany’s offshore wind buildout has been thrown in to crisis by TotalEnergies reported decision to hand back areas it won in recent tenders.
In May 2025, it was reported that TotalEnergies is planning to return the sites. In response, the Bundesverband Windenergie Offshore proposed that the German Government quickly introduce a mechanism that would enable the company to do so, and then quickly retender the sites.
The sites in question were awarded in between 2023 and 2025, but increased costs have weakened the business cases for windfarms in the areas awarded to TotalEnergies, leading to speculation that the company won’t take a final investment decision. If it doesn’t, development of up to 16 GW of capacity could be stalled, which could have profound implications for the supply chain.
BWE president Bärbel Heidebroek said, “The looming return of offshore areas clearly demonstrates that the current model does not offer the necessary investment security. No contracts were awarded in offshore tenders in 2025, and the tenders were completely cancelled in 2026. Now, even projects already awarded in 2023 and 2024 are in jeopardy. The resulting delays threaten climate protection goals, security of supply and Germany’s industrial base.”
IG Metall warned of “serious consequences for industry and employment” should new tenders not be issued soon. “Even now, delays in offshore expansion are causing uncertainty along the entire value chain,” it said.
IG Metall district manager Daniel Friedrich said the federal government “must quickly provide clarity and prevent further delays.” He continued, “Only with reliable framework conditions can supply chains be stabilized, investments secured and high-quality industrial jobs preserved. A legally sound framework for the transfer of the areas to other developers is urgently needed.”
“To prevent a dangerous setback in the expansion of offshore wind energy swift political action is needed now,” said Ms Heidebroek. “The German government should convene a high-level meeting as soon as possible and develop a new tender design based on the British model. It is crucial that new tenders are launched this year. Furthermore, expansion gaps at sea that cannot be made up in the short term must be compensated for by additional tenders for onshore wind energy.
“If awarded plots of land are not developed, they must be quickly put back out to tender,” said Mr Friedrich. “This requires a flawlessly regulated process.”
