Germany’s Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) has made public the scope of preliminary investigations and environmental assessments for six areas in the North and Baltic Sea slated to be tendered off in auctions from 2021 to 2023.
The agency said the “investigation framework” will determine how much of the marine environment, subsoil, wind and oceanographic conditions as well as the traffic suitability of the areas will be investigated and compiled in reports.
“Based on the results of the investigation, the BSH examines the suitability of the area,” the agency said.
“If the BSH comes to the conclusion that the site is suitable, it declares its suitability by statutory order and the results of the investigation are transmitted to the BNetzA (grid agency) for the tendering procedure.”
Germany starting in 2021 plans to hold regular offshore wind auctions of 700-900MW under a so-called “centralised model,” under which the state will pre-develop offshore wind zones before the tenders.
The country in 2017 and 2018 had already auctioned off 3.1GW in offshore acreage for areas pre-developed by companies, which unlike under the centralised model competed with different areas.
The BSH stresses that most of the investigations for the areas of the future tenders are not carried out by itself, but will be commissioned within the framework of public tenders.
The results of the investigations and reports are to be published by the grid agency for the tendering of areas designated for the construction and operation of offshore wind turbines.
