The Danish Energy Agency has opened a new round of offshore wind opportunities, releasing three offshore wind sites in Denmark for development: the ‘North Sea Mid’ zone, the ‘Hesselø’ area in the Kattegat, and the ‘North Sea South’ region. Together, these offshore wind sites in Denmark are projected to generate enough green electricity to match the annual consumption of roughly three million households across Denmark and the wider European market. Each project is anchored in a support model defined as a 2-sided capability-based contract for difference (CfD), a structure under which the state guarantees a fixed electricity price to the offshore wind producers. By lowering exposure to price volatility, the scheme responds directly to long-standing market concerns. The state has set a maximum payment limit of DKK 55.2 billion including VAT for the overall programme.
Alongside the financial mechanism, the tenders embed several mandatory sustainability and social responsibility provisions. Developers must meet conditions involving turbine blade recyclability and adhere to rules intended to prevent social dumping. For the ‘Hesselø’ project specifically, the selected bidder must construct the offshore wind farm using a nature-inclusive design. Cybersecurity requirements also feature prominently, with The Danish Energy Agency retaining the authority to request documentation at any time to verify compliance with applicable regulations. These tenders build on the 2024 offshore wind process, which initially offered six areas. After no bids were submitted for the first three sites by the deadline, The Danish Energy Agency facilitated a series of market dialogues. The feedback from those sessions shaped two political agreements in 2025, and the resulting framework now underpins the 2.8 GW tender package.
All tender material is being released through EU Supply, although users are advised that the links may take up to 48 hours to become accessible after publication. Deadlines differ by site: submissions for ‘North Sea Mid’ and ‘Hesselø’ fall in spring 2026, while bids for ‘North Sea South’ are due in autumn 2028. The three areas have defined capacity and timeline expectations, ‘North Sea Mid’ requires a minimum of 1 GW with completion by the end of 2032; ‘Hesselø’ must deliver at least 800 MW, also by the end of 2032; and ‘North Sea South’ carries a minimum 1 GW requirement with completion set for the end of 2034. The tender structure also permits successful bidders to incorporate overplanting capacity within their final project designs.