Germany’s installed offshore wind capacity has hit the 10GW mark following the commissioning of new turbines this month, according to the International Economic Forum for Renewable Energies (IWR).
Three turbines commissioned across the in-construction He Dreiht and Borkum Riffgrund 3 wind farms helped reach the capacity milestone, the IWR said, based on analysis of Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) data.
The organisation said the expansion of offshore wind in German waters is making “an important contribution to the joint development of the North Sea coastal states towards a clean, secure, and future-oriented energy supply in Europe”.
IWR chief executive Norbert Allnoch said: “We are experiencing a turning point in the energy history of Europe. With the first oil production in 1971, the North Sea was the starting point for European oil supply. Later, Brent crude oil became a key reference price.
“Since the first electricity production from offshore wind energy in 2002, the focus has fundamentally shifted.
“Today, the North Sea is transforming into a powerhouse for clean energy and is developing into the heart of a climate-friendly, secure, and future-oriented energy supply in Europe.”
The IWR added that a planned expansion of North Sea offshore wind to 300GW by 2050 could supply more than 1.1 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.
This would cover the annual demand of several European countries, significantly reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports, strengthen Europe’s resilience, and develop the North Sea into the world’s largest offshore energy hub, it stated.