Auctions for onshore wind and solar power projects in Germany continued their contrast in fortunes, with the latest 275MW wind round yet again undersubscribed, while bids for a parallel 193MW solar process heavily exceeded what's on offer.

Bids were handed in for only two-thirds of the wind volume on offer, or 191MW, with all 26 being successful, the federal grid agency (BNetzA) said.

As a consequence, the price for the average winning bid at €61.40 per megawatt hour once again came in close to the €62.00/MWh ($72.97/MWh) price ceiling.

German onshore wind tenders have been undersubscribed since late 2018 amid a permitting malaise and damaging discussions about a wind distance rule.

As a result, wind power additions on land continue to be too low for the country’s long-term renewable energy targets, despite a slight recovery on a low level during the first half of this year, first half 2020 figures showed this week.

Solar power for many months has been faring a lot better, with the latest auction again being heavily oversubscribed, receiving 779MW in bids for 193MW on offer.

A total of 30 bids were successful, with the average price for winning bids decreasing slightly to €51.80/MWh, compared to an average of €52.70 at the previous solar auction.