Wind industry, unions call for extra German offshore auctions given risk of oil majors' opt-out

The German Wind Energy Association (BWE) and the labour union IG Metall have called for new offshore wind auctions in the country after a possible withdrawal of fossil fuel companies TotalEnergies and BP from two major projects raised concerns over disruption in the sector’s expansion. BWE and IG Metall called on the government to “quickly take countermeasures” and develop a new auction design during the summer to enable new auctions before the end of the year. “The looming return of offshore wind areas [to the state] shows that the current model is not providing the required level of investment security,” said BWE head Bärbel Heidebroek. “No offshore projects were awarded in the 2025 auctions and the 2026 auctions have been called off altogether,” she said, adding that the possible withdrawal of the two companies would effectively erase the projects awarded in 2023 and 2024. “The delays this would cause threaten the climate targets, supply security and Germany’s industry,” Heidebroek said. IG Metall warned of “grave consequences for the industry and employment” if no new auctions are held soon, as the delays ripple along the entire value chain. “The government must provide clarity fast to prevent further delays,” said IG Metall’s coastal region leader Daniel Friedrich. “A secure legal framework for passing on the areas in question to other investors must be established quickly,” he added. Reports in May had said TotalEnergies and BP seek opt-outs from their offshore wind power commitments. Both companies surprised the industry by offering to run major wind farms without subsidies. TotalEnergies reportedly cited slow grid connections and a deteriorating economic environment as reasons for cancelling its project, which would have installed a total of 7.5 gigawatts (GW) of generation capacity. Germany aims to build 30 GW of offshore capacity by 2030, up from about 10 GW at the end of 2025.

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