Germany adopts offshore wind CfDs as fallback, not primary route

Germany will allow contracts for difference on offshore wind projects, but only as a last resort. Per Recharge News, the design keeps the merchant route as the default, meaning developers bear full price exposure unless the fallback CfD is triggered. The structure differs from the UK and French models, where CfDs are the primary support mechanism. It positions German offshore wind as more exposed to wholesale price volatility in the German bidding zone, a relevant consideration given the frequency of low or negative price hours in recent years.

Separately, Irish permitting data from Renews.biz shows 311 MW of onshore wind approvals in Q2 2026, against zero in Q1. The swing points to a clearing of a planning backlog rather than a smooth quarterly run rate. One quarter of data does not confirm a trend, but the Q2 volume alone is material for a market that has struggled with permitting throughput.