Dutch government sets aside 3.9 billion euros for offshore wind farm near IJmuiden Ver

The Dutch government has set aside 3.9 billion euros for a new offshore wind farm in the North Sea, Climate Minister Stientje van Veldhoven (D66) said. The government expects the project to cost about €2.3 billion in total.

The wind farm, located in the IJmuiden Ver Gamma-B zone more than 60 kilometers off the Dutch coast, is scheduled to start producing electricity in 2032 with a capacity of 1 gigawatt, enough to power about 1 million households.

Companies interested in building the wind farm can submit bids in the coming months. The level of government subsidy will depend on future electricity prices, with higher prices reducing the amount of public support required.

The tender for IJmuiden Ver Gamma-B will run alongside the neighboring Gamma-A zone, which is expected to produce a similar amount of electricity. Van Veldhoven’s predecessor, Sophie Hermans (VVD), initially planned to subsidize 2 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity but lacked sufficient funding. She later reduced the plan to 1 gigawatt and postponed a decision on the second gigawatt until spring.

Electricity demand is expected to rise in the coming years, but recent demand has fallen short of expectations as industrial decarbonization has progressed more slowly than forecast. At the same time, construction costs for offshore wind projects have increased. Under deteriorating market conditions and weaker demand, Hermans previously delayed tenders for the two wind zones. A separate tender for the Nederwiek I-A zone received no bids last year.

Despite these challenges, the government said it remains firmly committed to expanding offshore wind. “Offshore wind energy is the engine of the energy transition and contributes to a sustainable Netherlands,” Van Veldhoven said.