The Offshore Wind Act aims to expand the use of offshore wind energy, particularly in the interest of protecting the climate and the environment. The Act plans to increase the installed capacity of offshore wind power to at least 30 gigawatts and to at least 70 gigawatts by 2045. This increase is to take place steadily, cost-efficiently and taking account of the grid capacities needed for the purchase, transmission and distribution of the electricity. The expansion of offshore wind energy installations and the expansion of the offshore connections needed to transmit the electricity generated in them are therefore to be coordinated, also taking into consideration the onshore grid connection points, and an alignment of the respective planning, approvals, construction and commissioning is to be achieved.
The Act was last amended in March 2023, amongst a raft of other reforms.