The expansion of offshore wind energy requires precise and reliable planning in order to meet long-term goals. The heart of this planning is the site development plan (FEP), which defines various factors such as tender years or the date of grid connection. The previous version from 2023 will now be continued and revised by the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH). Associations from the offshore wind energy industry can comment on the BSH's draft and provide input.

There are some significant opportunities for improvement for the BWO:

• Reconciling economies of scale and actor diversity
• New land use planning and improving power generation efficiency
• Better align timing for offshore wind farms with grid connections
• Examination of continued operation beyond the 25-year permit
• Maintain and do not tighten dismantling obligations under existing permits
• Make automatic identification systems (AIS) mandatory for fishing and commercial vessels
• Carefully examine the possibilities of fishing and aquaculture for reasons of occupational safety and their ecological impact
• Build converters or other energy hubs in the middle of the offshore wind farm
• Strengthen transparency of the FEP consultation process

You can read the entire BWO statement here: BWO statement_FEP draft 2024