The Netherlands government has released its Offshore Wind Energy Action Plan, allocating nearly €1 billion to enable expansion of offshore wind farms in the Dutch North Sea.
Offshore wind is at the forefront of the Netherlands’ energy transition, with offshore wind farm electricity production having risen sharply in recent years. With rising costs, increased interest rates, and geopolitical instability now casting doubt on progress, the government has introduced the new Offshore Wind Energy Action Plan to safeguard momentum from decelerating.
As the present government is a caretaker government, the cabinet has refrained from broad new policies, opting instead for short-term measures for 2026 and laying the foundations for long-term structural policies for the future. Minister Micky Adriaansens-Hermans (Climate and Green Growth), stated: “The Action Plan provides additional certainty for the sector and ensures that the next cabinet can make swift decisions.”
The plan takes a dual-track approach to strengthen both supply and demand sides. On the supply side, the government will prepare a 2026 tender for 2 GW of offshore wind capacity with subsidies. €948.3 million from the Climate Fund has been allocated, largely directed toward these tenders. Demand-side measures include an extension of the Indirect Cost Compensation (IKC-ETS) scheme by a year until the end of 2028, with €150 million set aside for this extension to maintain competitive electricity prices.
Looking ahead longer, laws are being prepared to bring in Contracts for Difference (CfDs), where wind farm operators would be supported with subsidies in low-price periods but will repay funds during high-price periods. A guarantee fund for long-term electricity contracts is also planned, and a review as to whether developers would be allowed longer timelines to deliver projects.
The cabinet is additionally considering combining the Ten Noorden van de Waddeneilanden wind farm with the Doordewind area to boost turbine capacity and streamline infrastructure use. By pursuing these measures, the government aims to maintain continuity in offshore wind development while leaving broader policy choices for the next administration.
The Offshore Wind Energy Action Plan announcement comes as there are indications that the Netherlands may fail to achieve its climate objectives for 2030.