Germany’s Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) has published a preliminary draft of its updated Site Development Plan (FEP), outlining a pathway to expand the country’s offshore wind capacity from approximately 11 GW today to 70 GW by 2045.

Published on October 22, the document launches the process of amending and updating the 2025 Site Development Plan and builds on the current draft amendment to Germany’s Offshore Wind Energy Act (WindSeeG).

The proposal addresses the designation of new offshore wind areas, the coordination of project development with grid connections, and the potential contribution of cross-border projects to Germany’s national expansion targets.

Alongside the preliminary draft, the BSH has released a draft scoping document for the Strategic Environmental Assessment, together with maps and supporting studies. Authorities and members of the public have until December 3, 2026, to submit their comments.

Germany plans to designate 14 areas for offshore wind development

One of the main elements of the preliminary draft is the proposed designation of 14 areas for future offshore wind projects, distributed across several planning zones.

According to the German Offshore Wind Energy Association (BWO), these include four sites in area N-14, eight in area N-16, and two additional sites identified as N-6.9 and N-12.7.

The document also identifies 13 additional sites for potential future development, although these are not expected to be formally designated during the current planning process.

BWO has welcomed the proposed site sizes of approximately 1 GW each, as well as the BSH's plans to conduct centralised preliminary investigations of additional sites. According to the association, these measures could enable more companies to participate in auctions, strengthen competition and reduce planning risks.

Another key element is the proposed average adjusted power density of 7.3 MW/km² for new sites in zones 4 and 5.

This approach, which falls below the general upper limit of 8 MW/km² advocated by BWO, is intended to reduce wake effects between wind turbines and increase electricity generation.

Cross-border cooperation with Denmark offers new opportunities

The preliminary draft also incorporates international cooperation into Germany's offshore wind planning, allowing cross-border projects to contribute towards the country's national capacity targets.

In this context, BWO has particularly highlighted opportunities for cooperation with Denmark, which could support the development of offshore wind projects connected across national borders.

The association referred to a joint study conducted with the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW), which found that lower power densities in German waters, combined with connections to offshore wind farms in neighbouring countries, could significantly increase electricity generation while reducing costs per kilowatt-hour.

Industry calls for Contracts for Difference in future auctions

Despite welcoming the BSH's long-term planning framework, BWO has warned that achieving Germany's offshore wind expansion targets will also depend on investment conditions and regulatory certainty.

The association argues that the ongoing amendment to the Offshore Wind Energy Act must introduce mechanisms that improve project financing conditions and support investment decisions.

In particular, BWO is calling for indexed, two-sided Contracts for Difference (CfDs) for all future offshore wind auctions, rather than a two-stage model.

Stefan Thimm, Managing Director of BWO, said the preliminary draft provides a long-term outlook for offshore wind development in Germany, but stressed that the political and regulatory framework must enable site planning to translate into actual investments.

The association has also questioned the introduction of a uniform 10% overbuilding requirement for offshore wind farms relative to their grid connection capacity.

Overbuilding allows the installed generation capacity of a wind farm to exceed the capacity of its grid connection. While this can improve grid utilisation, it may also increase investment costs and lead to greater electricity curtailment during periods of high generation.

According to a study conducted by Frontier Economics on behalf of BWO and BDEW, the economically optimal level of overbuilding ranges from 5% to 10%, depending on site-specific conditions.

BWO therefore advocates individual requirements for each site rather than a standard percentage applied across all projects.

Offshore wind expansion must be aligned with grid development

Another challenge identified by the industry is the need to coordinate offshore wind construction schedules with the availability of grid connection infrastructure.

BWO considers that the development sequence envisaged for projects scheduled to enter operation by 2038 must ensure steady expansion aligned with grid connection timelines.

The association has also welcomed the preliminary draft's integrated approach to extending the operation of existing offshore wind farms and planning the future reuse of their sites.

In this regard, BWO is calling for grid connections to remain available until decommissioning activities have been completed, while ensuring that dismantling and new construction plans are coordinated well in advance.

BWO will review the preliminary draft's detailed provisions with its member companies during the public consultation period, before submitting its comments in early December.

Until the updated plan is formally adopted, the 2025 Site Development Plan, as most recently amended, will remain in force.