Netherlands to miss offshore wind target amid grid and supply chain challenges

Rob Jetten, the Dutch deputy prime minister and minister for climate and energy, wrote in the letter that the current programme of existing and future offshore wind farms planned in Dutch territory would see the country reach its target of 21GW of offshore wind capacity in 2032 – one year later than previously anticipated. 

“This is caused by the lead times for the spatial procedures of grid connections, the busy supply chains and the longer time required to connect wind farms to the offshore grid,” Jetten wrote. 

The deputy prime minister listed other “uncertainties” that he said were impacting the offshore wind road map laid out by the Dutch government. 

He cited the need to balance the rollout of offshore wind with other marine concerns including ecology, shipping, defence and grid connections. However, doing so makes timely decisions on new offshore wind locations challenging, Jetten wrote. 

The news followed a positive year for offshore wind in the Netherlands. The country installed 1.9GW of offshore wind in 2023 – more than any other European country.

The new roadmap published by Jetten in the letter listed planned offshore wind projects currently under development in the Dutch North Sea and their expected completion dates. 

It showed that three major new offshore wind projects are now expected to be commissioned after 2031. 

The 2GW Neederweik Noord II project is now due online in Q2 of 2032, having previously been earmarked to come online in 2030. The first stage of the 4000MW Doordewind I & II  project is due online in Q4 of 2032, having previously been slated for commissioning in 2031. And the 700MW Ten noorden van de Waddeneilanden (TNWWFS I)  project is due online in 2033 – two years later than previously planned. 

The announcement followed previous analysis reported by Windpower Monthly, which suggested the Netherlands would struggle to reach its offshore wind targets without policy reform because offshore wind was not expected to become profitable in the country before 2030.