Germany's Bundestag approves 8 GW of extra wind, solar auctions

The lower house of Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, last week approved a set of legislative measures that include auctions for 8 GW of onshore wind and solar power between 2019 and 2021.

The Federal Cabinet passed a bill at the start of November that contained the plan for awarding contracts, through “special” auctions, to 4 GW of solar and 4 GW of onshore wind projects in support of Germany’s climate goals, and calling for additional technology-neutral tenders in which new pricing mechanisms and tendering procedures will be tested. The draft law was approved on Friday.

For next year, under the agreement reached in early November, the federal government will hold tenders for 1 GW wind and 1 GW solar. They will be followed by competitive bidding rounds of 1.4 GW for each technology in 2020, and then 1.6 GW for each in 2021. These tenders are expected to help the country cut its carbon dioxide (CO2) levels by up to 10 million tonnes by 2020, supporting its 65% renewables goal for 2030.

The draft law also envisages a reduction to the subsidy of solar power production from plants ranging between 40 kW and 750 kW, and support for the combined heat and power (CHP) sector.

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