daily · Clean Energy

German offshore sector warns of 21,000-job loss without WindSeeG auction reform

The German Offshore Wind Energy Association warns the country could lose 21,000 jobs, 550 billion euros in revenue and 36 GW of capacity by 2045 without auction reform. It wants two-sided CfDs and a one-off hand-back for 2023-25 sites.

By Greener Numbers Editorial Team · Published October 18, 2026 · Updated 10/18/2026

Germany's offshore wind sector could lose 21,000 full-time jobs, 550 billion euros in potential revenue and 36 GW of planned capacity by 2045 unless lawmakers change proposed amendments to the Offshore Wind Energy Act (WindSeeG), the German Offshore Wind Energy Association (BWO) warned, per reNEWS reporting on October 15, 2026.

The warning follows a wind:research study calculating supply-chain consequences of an order gap if Germany misses its statutory 70 GW offshore target for 2045. The BWO said the legislation being debated at the Bundestag must create reliable investment conditions, including two-sided contracts for difference with effective indexation.

The association also wants a one-off opportunity for sites awarded between 2023 and 2025 to be surrendered where projects' economic viability is at risk, so the acreage can be re-tendered under bankable terms.

"The absence of bids in the 2025 auctions was a clear warning signal. An auction award alone does not create an order," said BWO Managing Director Stefan Thimm. "The amendment to the WindSeeG must therefore improve investment conditions, limit cost risks and quickly bring projects at risk back into the auction process."

The figures come from an industry-commissioned study and an industry association's advocacy position, not a government assessment; the Bundestag has not yet decided the amendment's final shape.

Official source: renews.biz ↗