German wind energy tender once again undersubscribed, but grid agency sees “hope”

In its latest auction for onshore wind turbines, Germany failed to secure enough investment deals to ensure the rollout of the technology proceeds with sufficient speed to reach renewable targets. Yet, in contrast to previous tenders, the total wind power capacity investors offered to build approached the desired amount, making the country’s grid agency (BNetzA), which is heading the process, more confident. "The fact that the amount awarded in 2023 is twice as high as last year gives me hope," the agency’s head, Klaus Müller, said. "For the expansion targets, the trend of a significant increase must continue." In the whole year, BNetzA awarded investor proposals with a combined capacity of 6,377 MW, compared to 3,225 MW last year.

Germany wants to increase the share of renewables to 80 percent of total electricity use by 2030. In the latest auction, investors submitted 167 bids totalling 1,981 MW in the tender with a volume of 2,087 MW. After excluding two bids due to formal errors, BNetzA awarded 165 bids with a combined capacity of 1,967 MW, which ranged from 5.88 cents per kilowatt hour (ct/kWh) to the maximum permissible 7.35 ct/kWh, resulting in an average of 7.31 ct/kWh, virtually unchanged from the previous round (7.32 ct/kWh).