Danish Energy Agency opens tenders for three offshore windfarms supported by CfDs 

The tenders are based on what the Agency described as “a thorough dialogue with industry” and “support and flexibility for bidders to increase the likelihood of qualified bids.”

The Agency is offering three areas for offshore windfarms, ‘North Sea Central, ‘Hesselø’ in the Kattegat and ‘North Sea South.’ 

The Government has adopted a two-sided Contract for Difference (CfD) as the support mechanism for the windfarms. A ceiling of a total of DKK55.2Bn has been set.

The tenders also include requirements regarding sustainability and social responsibility, including, among other things, requirements for reusable turbine blades. The winning bid for the Hesselø wind energy area must also establish a ‘nature-inclusive’ design. In order to protect against potential security threats, there is also a requirement that bidders must be able to document that they will at all times comply with applicable emergency preparedness legislation.

The tenders are the first in the country since a 2024 tender for six areas failed to attract any bids. As highlighted by OWJ, after the failed tender, the Danish Energy Agency initiated dialogues with the market, which resulted in two political agreements in 2025, on which the new 2.8-GW offshore wind tenders are based. One 7 November 2025, the conditions for the tenders agreed earlier in the year were ‘adjusted’ in order to increase the likelihood that at least one, hopefully two projects will move forward.

The deadline for bids for North Sea Mid and Hesselø is spring 2026. The deadline for the North Sea South is autumn 2028. North Sea Mid, which has capacity for 1 GW of generation, must be completed by the end of 2032; Hesselø is an 800-MW tender and must be completed by the end of 2032; North Sea South, which has a capacity of a minimum of 1 GW, must be completed by the end of 2034.