Upcoming tenders in 2024
As 2023 comes to an end, we can now look back at an eventful year in the offshore wind industry, presenting both some challenges, but also confirming increased ambitions and new opportunities.
On a global basis, 2023 has seen over 29 GW of project capacity awarded through auction rounds, with Europe being at the forefront, contributing with 26.4 GW. Eight different countries concluded rounds during the year, the highest number yet, and of these eight, two were new to the offshore wind industry.
In addition to leases being handed out, our member Esgian Offshore Wind has seen new and emerging markets taking leaps and bounds towards hosting future auctions, like Greece outlining 25 possible areas for future development, totaling at least 12.4 GW.
Looking ahead to a busy year
Esgian Offshore Wind has checked in on the schedule for next year, and they see a very ambitious calendar for auction rounds to be hosted. Esgian estimates that 14 separate countries are on track to award leases during 2024, while an additional six will kick off new auction rounds, concluding afterwards in 2025. Of these 20 in total, six countries will be making their debuts with offshore wind development. Like 2023, Europe will be at the forefront, with an expected 26.3 GW to be awarded in 2024.
Some of the key rounds to look out for next year will take place in familiar markets, like Germany (8000 MW) and the Netherlands (4000 MW), offering some of the largest sites on the calendar (up to 2000 MW). Others to keep an eye on include promising new markets like Portugal (up to 3500 MW) and Norway (3000 MW), in both of which we expect to see results of auction rounds during 2024.
Although some negative headlines for the industry adjusting to a new cost reality, we can see a lot of ambition
Kasper Christian Grytnes, Offshore Wind Analyst Esgian
In addition, several countries will kick off large leasing rounds next year, which will run into 2025. These include Denmark (8000 MW), and the UK (4500 MW) in the Celtic Sea. For the Celtic Sea round, where developers can bid for three floating areas with 1500 MW capacity each, Esgian has identified 19 different consortiums and 36 project concepts in development for the round, indicating a massive interest in pursuing floating projects.
- Although some negative headlines for the industry adjusting to a new cost reality, we can see a lot of ambition. The capacities are there, but a key issue is permitting time, in order to get projects moving forward, says Kasper Christian Grytnes, Offshore Wind Analyst Esgian.
New markets opening up
There are several interesting new markets aiming to launch an offshore wind round during next year, including countries like Colombia, Canada, and India. These countries currently have no experience with offshore wind and will test the appetite from developers to dive into new markets off the beaten track.
The full list of countries hosting rounds or opening round next year include:
- Europe: Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, Spain, UK
- Asia- Pacific: Australia, Japan, India, Taiwan
- Americas: Canada, Colombia, US
In brief, there is no shortage of ambitions for offshore wind development. New markets are being added each year and record sized auction rounds are being hosted. Next year will continue to build on 2023, building a promising pipeline of new offshore wind projects and deploying green energy solutions.
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