Decarbonising the North Sea: Dutch Offshore Wind

The Dutch government has set ambitious targets to reach 21 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity by 2030, aiming to supply approximately 75% of current Dutch electricity consumption. In the specialized North Sea offshore wind generation market, massive capital expenditure requirements and complex regulatory licensing have created a highly concentrated market structure.

While municipal consortia and small community-owned cooperatives are beginning to invest in near-shore micro-turbines, deep-water projects are dominated by a handful of multinational energy consortia. This high barrier to entry has raised concerns among energy watchdogs regarding pricing power and long-term competition in the Dutch wholesale electricity market.

Fig. 1 – Dutch offshore wind capacity supplier market share, 2024 (%)

Refer to Fig. 1.