Since May 23, 2025, we know what the Net Zero Industry Act looks like and we know the possible criteria. What we don’t know is in what form they will be used from which European Country..
This was my original concern, which I already expressed in my contribution to the EU consultation and in my blog post for the European Sustainable Energy Week – “2-in-1: carbon footprint as a quality criterion in the NZIA – solving sustainability and resilience together ” can be found here, among other places: https://sustainable-energy-week.ec.europa.eu/news/2-1-carbon-footprint-quality-criterion-nzia-solving-sustainability-and-resilience-together-2025-04-30_en
It is unclear whether the tendering requirements of the NZIA will be applied in Germany for offshore wind energy tenders, as the quantity specification in the NZIA is very limited (30% of tenders or 6 gigawatts per year) and the freedom of choice of qualitative criteria prevents them from being uniform in the EU on the one hand and reduces the possibility of realizing resilience gains in the respective value chains on the other. It remains to be hoped that the carbon footprint will prevail in one or other EU country and that an offshore wind value chain can at least be maintained or expanded there.
It is only a matter of time before the offshore wind industry follows a similar path to the solar/PV industry. With continuing market distortions combined with, for example, a reduced number of full-load hours to be achieved, industrial growth in Germany and Europe in the field of future technologies such as offshore wind energy will be severely impacted. This puts significant competitive advantages at risk, which could be reflected above all in the loss of the experience, skills and industrial capacities that have been built up to date. – At least for large parts of the supplying and manufacturing SMEs and industry. Sustainable energy without sustainable employment development is certainly better than no green electricity, but less than half the potential added value.
The tender for the North Sea area N-9.4 in Germany has been running since June 1 without a qualitative criterion such as the CO2 footprint. An area of around 146 km² with the potential for 1 gigawatt of installed capacity and a planned commissioning date of 2032.
I am looking forward to the discussion at the EUSEW (European Sustainable Energy Week) – in Brussels and on July 1 at the Offshore Wind Day in Neuss, NRW – Germany as part of the 17th NRW Wind Energy Industry Day. – The question that arises for me: Is value creation in the context of the expansion of renewable energies and specifically for offshore wind energy politically desirable or are there enough other value creation potentials and potential employment opportunities in Germany and Europe?
Click here to register for the EUSEW from June 10 – 12 in Brussels or online: https://interactive.eusew.eu/
Click here to register for the 2nd Offshore Wind Day in NRW as part of the 17th NRW Wind Energy Industry Day: https://nrw-windenergie.de/tickets/ mEErFrauen e.V. is also taking part. https://www.meerfrauen.org/
