Germany’s federal grid agency BNetzA has acknowledged that the coronavirus outbreak has led to supply chain interruptions that pose the timely construction of some renewable energy projects in question, and therefore will be flexible on construction deadlines after tenders.

The agency promised it will grant winners of past onshore wind and biomass plant tenders extensions to their construction deadlines in a non-bureaucratic manner. Developers only have to send the agency a formless request – even by email – telling the reasons for the delay of a project.

A similar rule applies to solar projects, but those need to be registered in Germany’s central solar power register.

VDMA Power Systems, a group representing wind power OEMs, welcomed the measure.

“Due to the interruption of supply chains for parts from abroad due to Corona, some machines cannot be manufactured in time,” VDMA Power Systems managing director Matthias Zelinger said.

The BNetzA for the time being will refrain from sending notices to transmission system operators about penalties for wind and biomass plants that are being commissioned with a delay.

For current and future wind and solar tenders, the same deadlines still apply, and the BNetzA will inform winning bidders in writing. But the agency won’t make the outcome fully public on the internet for the time being, and thus avoid construction deadlines to officially kick in.

The BNetzA will only publish figures on bid volumes, highest and lowest prices of winning bids.