The Netherlands is expected to open a bidding window for the four IJmuiden Ver sites – located 62km off the Dutch coast, further out to sea from the Hollandse Kust sites – in the fourth quarter of this year.
It is expected to publish bidding criteria early this year, with developers anticipating there to be a focus on ecological protection.
SSE and APG – acting on behalf of Dutch pension fund ABP – explained that the Netherlands’ ambitious offshore wind targets of 21GW by 2030 and “strong focus on innovation” attracted them to the market.
In the most recent Dutch offshore wind tender, the government evaluated bids on qualitative criteria – on projects’ availability to benefit biodiversity or the wider Dutch energy system – following a series of auction rounds with multiple developers offering to operate projects without subsidy.
SSE had unsuccessfully bid for projects in the 2022 tender for the Hollandse Kust West project. RWE and a joint venture of Shell and Eneco were ultimately successful in the 1.5GW Dutch offshore wind tender.
A successful bid in the IJmuiden Ver tender would mark SSE Renewables’ entry into Dutch offshore wind. It has previously developed projects off the coasts of the UK and Ireland.
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