The industry is calling for a swift reform of the offshore wind energy law Status of offshore wind energy, first half of 2026

·        Offshore wind energy in Germany grew strongly in the first half of the year, reaching 1,077 MW and exceeding the ten gigawatt mark for installed capacity.

·        Industry demands amendment to the offshore wind energy law for investment security with bilateral, indexed CfDs as early as summer 2026

·        A stable and feasible project pipeline with trustworthy partners in fair competition secures industrial value creation, investments and jobs in Germany and Europe.

Berlin, Bremerhaven, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Rostock, 21 July 2026 – As of 30 June 2026, 1,764 offshore wind turbines with an installed capacity of 10.8 gigawatts (GW) were operating in the German North and Baltic Seas. In the first half of 2026, 84 new turbines with a capacity of 1,077 megawatts (MW) were newly connected to the grid.

Currently, 22 more turbines with a capacity of 323 GW have been erected in the Borkum Riffgrund 3 and He Dreiht offshore wind farms, as well as in the North Sea Cluster A, but are not yet operational. Final investment decisions (FIDs) have already been made for projects with a total capacity of 2.6 GW. Further offshore wind projects with a capacity of 17.5 GW have been awarded contracts, but no FIDs have yet been finalised. According to current plans, 30 GW of offshore wind energy capacity will be installed in Germany by 2032. This is based on the latest surveys conducted by Deutsche WindGuard on behalf of the industry organizations BWE, BWO, VDMA Power Systems, WAB eV, WindEnergy Network e.V., and the non-profit Offshore Wind Energy Foundation.

Adapting the offshore wind energy law

Although the expansion of offshore wind energy is currently progressing, the results of the last tender rounds show that the existing regulations no longer reflect current market conditions. In particular, the lack of bids in August 2025 demonstrates the urgent need for a swift amendment to the Offshore Wind Energy Act (WindSeeG). As long as awarded projects remain in limbo and the future legal framework remains unclear, considerable uncertainty persists for project developers, manufacturers, suppliers, and investors. Meanwhile, the industry is preparing for the 2027 tenders as quickly as possible.

Modernising the investment and financing framework

To finance future offshore wind projects, Germany needs a robust and internationally competitive investment framework. The WindSeeG amendment must fundamentally redesign the tendering process. Industry associations advocate for the introduction of an indexed, two-sided Contracts for Difference (CfD) model. Such a risk hedging instrument reduces financing risks, increases the likelihood of project realisation, and contributes to ensuring competitive electricity costs for industry and consumers in the long term. The current system of negative bids has failed and must be replaced by CfDs immediately. It is also necessary to create a practical hedging mechanism for long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) so that PPAs become financially viable for banks and acceptable to small and medium-sized industrial enterprises.

Securing the project pipeline and continuing expansion

A viable outlook is needed for the offshore wind projects awarded contracts between 2023 and 2025. The focus must be on ensuring the continued implementation of these projects. "Where projects can no longer be implemented due to negatively changed conditions and increased risks from multiple crises, the German government is called upon to examine legally enshrined criteria for a buyback option and a related mechanism to immediately re-tender the affected areas. This will make areas and grid connections available again promptly, allow new projects to be realised, and create reliable prospects for the supply chain. Only in this way can the continuous expansion of offshore wind energy be secured," the industry organisations stated.

Offshore wind power strengthens Germany as an industrial location

A reliable expansion path creates planning certainty for investments in production capacities, supply chains, and port infrastructure. According to a study by the wind:research institute commissioned by the BWO (German Federal Wind Energy Association), offshore wind energy already secures approximately 49,000 jobs in Germany. For this positive development to continue, fair competitive conditions are needed that effectively protect European companies from market distortions and safeguard investments in Europe. At the same time, the regulatory framework must strengthen the protection of critical energy infrastructure and effectively limit physical and digital security risks along the supply chain.

About the clients who commissioned the semi-annual expansion statistics for offshore wind energy:

About the Bundesverband WindEnergie e.V. (BWE)

The Bundesverband WindEnergie e.V. (BWE) is a partner of over 3,000 companies in the wind energy sector and represents the interests of its approximately 17,000 members. The BWE thus concentrates the entire expertise of this diverse industry.

About the German Offshore Wind Energy Association (BWO)

The purpose of the BWO is to represent the political interests of the offshore wind industry in Germany. The BWO is the central point of contact for policymakers and authorities at the federal and state levels on all matters relating to offshore wind energy.

About the OFFSHORE-WINDENERGIE Foundation

The non-profit foundation OFFSHORE WINDENERGIE has been a non-partisan, supra-regional and cross-sectoral think tank for the development of offshore wind energy in Germany and Europe since 2005. It serves as a communication platform for stakeholders from politics, business and research, facilitates knowledge exchange and sees itself as a source of ideas and a multiplier.

About VDMA Power Systems

VDMA Power Systems is the association for energy plant engineering. It represents the interests of manufacturers and suppliers of electricity and heat systems both in Germany and abroad. These include wind power, photovoltaic and hydropower plants, engines and thermal power plants, as well as storage and sector coupling technologies.

About WAB e.V.

WAB is the nationwide contact point for the offshore wind industry and the onshore network in Northwest Germany, and it promotes the production of green hydrogen from wind power. The association comprises around 250 small and large companies and institutes from all sectors of the wind industry, the maritime industry, the emerging hydrogen economy, and research.

About WindEnergy Network e.V. (WEN)

WEN is the leading business network for wind energy in the Northeast region, with over 90 member companies. Its goal is to expand the industrial base and regional value creation in the future-oriented renewable energy sector. Key areas of focus include onshore and offshore wind energy, maritime technologies in conjunction with offshore wind energy, and the development of green hydrogen.