The Netherlands is preparing to launch a new offshore wind tender for a 1 gigawatt (GW) project at the IJmuiden Ver Gamma-A site, with applications for permits expected to open in September 2026. The tender will be supported by up to €2.5 billion in subsidies, as the government seeks to safeguard the continued development of offshore wind amid rising costs and increasing market uncertainty.

According to the Dutch Ministry of Climate and Green Growth, developers will be able to apply to the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) for the construction and operation of the wind farm, which is expected to generate enough electricity to supply approximately one million households.

The subsidy package aims to restore investor confidence at a time when offshore wind development in the Netherlands is under pressure. Higher construction and financing costs, combined with lower-than-expected electricity demand, have reduced revenue certainty for developers. These challenges became evident in October 2025, when no bids were submitted for the Nederwiek I-A offshore wind tender.

To prevent further delays, the government has allocated €2.5 billion in financial support for IJmuiden Ver Gamma-A. Of this amount, €900 million will be drawn from the Climate Fund, while the remaining €1.6 billion will come from the SDE++ scheme (Stimulation of Sustainable Energy Production and Climate Transition).

The subsidy framework sets a maximum tender amount of €104 per megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity generated. The final level of support will depend on the bid submitted by the winning developer, meaning the total subsidy may be lower than the reserved amount.

PBL Recommends Single 1 GW Site

The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) provided independent advice on the tender design, recommending that only one 1 GW site be offered in this round due to limited subsidy availability. According to PBL, the current budget would not be sufficient to support two separate 1 GW projects simultaneously.

The Ministry of Climate and Green Growth is expected to decide later this year whether a second 1 GW tender round will be launched.