A coalition of 21 major Dutch offshore wind and maritime companies has made a joint appeal to Minister Sophie Hermans, urging the government to intervene decisively to maintain momentum in the country’s offshore wind sector. The group, including industry players like #VanOord, #RWE, #Eneco, #Vattenfall, and #Ørsted, warns that rising costs and a lag in industrial electrification are threatening the Netherlands’ clean energy transition.
In a letter released this week, the coalition flagged a growing mismatch between offshore wind supply and electricity demand. Developers are now facing higher risks, which may force delays—or even cancellations—of new offshore wind projects. “The situation is becoming increasingly difficult,” reads the coalition’s message, which emphasizes the urgency of structural changes to avoid a potential standstill in project development.
So, what’s the fix?
The coalition proposes a three-pronged approach: first, to introduce a Contract for Difference (CfD) scheme tailored for offshore wind; second, to prepare a fallback subsidy mechanism (SDE++) for 2026 in case a CfD isn’t implemented in time; and third, to accelerate industrial electrification while lowering grid tariffs to boost demand for renewable electricity.
These measures aim to de-risk investments and align energy production with industrial consumption—a gap that’s currently putting the entire supply chain under strain. As offshore wind farms ramp up, there’s simply not enough local demand to match the output, mainly because large segments of Dutch industry are still tethered to fossil fuels and face regulatory hurdles in shifting to electrified operations.
According to insiders familiar with the discussions, developers are caught in a catch-22: produce too much green power, and you flood a grid that’s not ready; produce too little, and you fall behind EU climate targets. “We’re ready to build, but we need the right market conditions,” a representative from one of the participating firms said.
The push also comes at a time when the Netherlands is seeking to solidify its leadership in offshore wind within Europe. But without policy alignment and timely market incentives, that goal could slip further out of reach. The proposed CfD mechanism, already in use in countries like the UK, would offer price stability and protect developers from market volatility—two things urgently needed as capital costs spike and supply chain bottlenecks persist.
Among the 21 signatories are a cross-section of maritime engineering, logistics, and energy companies, including NMT (Netherlands Maritime Technology), Fugro, Vestas, Siemens Gamesa, and Sif Group. Each has a stake in ensuring the continued viability of the offshore wind sector, which is increasingly seen as central to Europe’s broader decarbonization strategy.
No immediate response has yet been issued by Minister Hermans’ office, but the coalition says it’s eager to collaborate with the government on shaping a path forward. Whether that cooperation materializes in time to avert a slowdown remains to be seen.
