The first renewable energy bidding round for onshore wind and solar power projects in 2019 has been launched in Germany. The German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) has announced two separate tenders for both these technologies. The bidding deadline is February 1, 2019.
For solar power tender, bidders will bid for 175 MW capacity with the bidding price capped at €0.0891 ($0.10) per kWh. The tender volume can still be changed if the energy collection law comes into force on time, the regulator stated.
Solar energy projects can be set up on arable as well as grassland areas in the following German states – Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria, Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland. Further details are available on the agency's website.
A total of 700 MW will be available for wind power projects, and bids with the lowest bid value will be awarded until the entire volume in the bidding round has been reached. Of this 700 MW, 155 MW is available in the network expansion area in the northern part of the country. All projects awarded under this tender will get 24 months to achieve completion. The bidding price has been capped at €0.0620 ($0.071) per kWh.
In 2019, the agency will hold 16 renewable tenders in total.
In the last solar auction conducted in October 2018, the agency received 76 bids adding up to 551 MW against the available 182 MW, and finally awarded 192 MW; the lowest winning bid was €0.0386 ($0.045) per kWh, while the average awarded bid level was €0.0469 ($0.054) per kWh (see Germany Awards 192 MW With L1 Bid Of €0.0386/kWh).
Germany's coalition government has approved 4 GW of tenders for both ground mount solar PV and wind power capacity in 2019 and 2020 to support the country reaching a 65% renewables share in its total power mix by 2030 (see Germany To Hold 4 GW PV Auctions In Next 2 Years).