The Dutch government last week awarded Swedish utility Vattenfall the keenly-watched tender
Zero-subsidy offshore wind – plain sailing or choppy waters ahead?
The Dutch government this week awarded developer Vattenfall the keenly-watched tender to build the 700–750MW Hollandse Kust South 1&2 offshore wind zones, with the Swedish utility’s chief executive Magnus Hall calling the win “excellent news for Vattenfall and the Netherlands [and] a significant step for us in view of our ambitions to grow in renewable energy production. But warning flags were immediately raised by some industry observers that uncertainties about future power prices and the availability of next-generation 12MW-plus turbines could affect these projects' economic viability. And how could this impact on the global offshore wind industry’s medium-term expansion?
Read the articles that follow for depth and dimension on this important story, as covered by Recharge.
Agenda: Offshore wind sector soaring to new heights
The offshore wind industry shows no sign of slowing in its quest to make a bigger, cheaper and more innovative contribution to the energy transition.
Reaction: ScottishPower chief flags dangers of subsidy-free 'obsession'
Keith Anderson says it's 'bonkers' to expect £2.5bn investment commitment on market risk alone and warns against tampering with 'phenomenally successful' CfD mechanism.
Analysis: Zero-subsidy win could be a mixed blessing
Uncertainties about future power prices and the availability of the next generation of offshore turbines could affect the projects' economic viability.
Face-to-Face: 'Companies will look abroad if Dutch wind prices fall too fast': NWEA president Hans Timmers
Zero-subsidy tenders will help his country boost the share of wind in its power mix and raise offshore targets, but there are risks as well, Netherlands Wind Energy Association president Hans Timmers tells Recharge.
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