TenneT to launch tender for 40-GW offshore expansion in North Sea

Transmission system operator TenneT TSO GmbH will launch a new large-scale tender in support of its goal to connect 40 GW of offshore wind energy in the North Sea, split evenly between the German and Dutch sectors.

The company expects a total order value of up to €30 billion, according to a June 23 news release. TenneT plans to enter into cooperation agreements with "key market partners" for up to eight years covering offshore platforms, onshore stations and converters.

The company noted that at a North Sea summit in May, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium agreed to jointly install at least 65 GW of offshore wind energy by 2030. TenneT's planned installations would account for two-thirds of that goal.

"In order to meet the challenges posed by this major expansion target and achieve its goals, we are breaking new ground in cooperation with our industry partners, sending a strong signal to the market with a large-scale tender," said TenneT COO Tim Meyerjürgens. "The goal is to set out a new kind of framework agreement that allows for scaling through efficiently expanding these new offshore systems — both for technology companies and for other transmission system operators."

Dutch state-owned TenneT said its current offshore connection capacity consists of approximately 7.2 GW in the German North Sea and roughly 2.5 GW in the Dutch North Sea.

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