The Netherlands to hold tender for an additional 1 GW of offshore wind

The project in question, IJmuiden Ver Gamma B, will provide capacity for 1 GW of offshore wind generation, which will be supported through the expansion of the Dutch government’s temporary offshore wind support scheme (TOWOZ). 

As reported by OWJ in early March 2026, a motion in the House of Representatives asking for a second tender for offshore wind capacity in 2026 was passed by the Dutch Parliament.

The motion came after a 16 January 2026 announcement by former Netherlands Minister of Climate Policy and Green Growth Sophie Hermans that the government would only initiate a tender for 1 GW of capacity in 2026, in the IJmuiden Ver Gamma-A area.

Responding to the decision, wind industry body NedZero said it “fully supports the cabinet’s decision to tender an additional 1 GW of wind energy this year.” It said the government’s support for the additional tender, through an expansion of the TOWOZ scheme, is much appreciated.

NedZero chairman Jan Vos said, “In a period of rising energy prices, the Netherlands will double the rollout of new offshore windfarms in 2026. That is wise, and citizens and businesses will benefit from this.”

Now that the second 1 GW of capacity has been approved, a joint tender for 2 GW will take place, with the process postponed from September to November 2026. 

“Preparing a bid takes time. The original schedule was too tight. With an additional lot, the complexity increases, and extra preparation time is essential to arrive at robust bids," said Mr Vos.

According to the new schedule, the tenders will close in December. The winners are expected to be announced around February 2027. Commissioning is planned for 2032.

“The cabinet has previously established that offshore wind forms the backbone of the future energy system. With the opening of a second tender, this course is being made concrete,” said NedZero. “The Netherlands now has approximately 4.7 GW of offshore wind and is expected to grow to around 40 GW by 2040.

“With this second tender, the Netherlands takes an important step towards a sustainable, reliable, and affordable energy supply. The sector looks forward with confidence to the further development of offshore wind.”