Dutch Scale Back Offshore Wind to Support Fishing Sector

The Netherlands has scaled down its offshore wind ambitions and eliminated a planned wind development area in a move to better accommodate the country’s fishing industry.

As part of a revision to the North Sea Programme, the Dutch government has reduced its offshore wind energy target from 50 gigawatts to 21 gigawatts.

A major component of this adjustment includes the removal of the Lagelander offshore wind zone, located to the west of the islands of Texel and Vlieland. Authorities cited the area's high importance for fisheries as the reason for its exclusion from wind development.

With this change, a zone covering between 1,520 and 1,620 square kilometers will remain free of wind turbines. The updated plan ensures this region will remain accessible for langoustine (Norwegian lobster) fishing, preserving a vital area for ongoing commercial fishing operations.

The previous target of reaching 50GW of offshore wind capacity is not being abandoned entirely but has been deferred to the next iteration of the North Sea Programme, which is scheduled for 2028.