Change  WindSeeG

 "The fact that 20 GW of offshore wind energy is finally being anchored in law and that an expansion target beyond 2030 is being formulated for the first time is of course very welcome.", BWO Managing Director, Stefan Thimm, comments on the federal government's draft bill to amend the WindSeeG. This is a perspective that the industry urgently needs for its planning.

"Unfortunately, hurdles are being created in other important points that make it much more difficult and artificially more expensive to achieve the expansion goals." The planned adjustment of the financing increases the investment costs and thus also the electricity generation costs. “Especially in view of the current situation, that is incomprehensible. Right now all levers should be set in motion in order to secure internationally competitive electricity prices for the economic reconstruction after the Corona crisis, "says Thimm.

The amendment envisaged in the draft law would also reduce the likelihood of implementation of the proposed projects and also represent an encroachment on the constitutionally secured property rights of the holders of entry rights. Legal disputes are already foreseeable which - regardless of their outcome - would lead to further uncertainties and follow-up costs .

Instead, the BWO recommends the introduction of contracts for difference. “We can only emphasize again and again that contracts for difference offer enormous advantages,” explains Thimm. “They ensure a more cost-efficient expansion of renewable energies, prevent over-funding in connection with competitive tenders and ensure that the CO₂- Reduction targets as well as long-term low and stable electricity costs. "

The decision on financing should at least be postponed in the current proceedings and a broad-based dialogue should be held with the industry over the summer before an economically efficient instrument is chosen, demand the offshore wind farm operators.

Among other things, the statement also addresses the planned adjustment of the implementation deadlines for successful bidders. An extension of the implementation deadlines for future projects in the event of the system manufacturer's insolvency increases planning security and is expressly welcomed. However, the extension of the deadline should also be made applicable to projects that are already under construction and that are currently affected by the insolvency of a system manufacturer.

The Federal Ministry of Economics received the Federal Ministry of Economics yesterday, Thursday, on time, on the Federal Ministry of Economics and Business Administration's statement on the Federal Government's draft bill "Draft of a law amending the offshore wind energy law and other regulations".

The full statement on the draft can be found in the attachment.