The new German government must act fast to support the expansion of offshore wind, industry leaders have said.
The German Offshore Wind Energy Foundation and industry associates today published the expansion figures for 2024.
The figures prepared by the consulting firm Deutsche WindGuard show that a total of 73 offshore wind turbines with a capacity of 742MW fed into the electricity grid for the first time in Germany during 2024.
In addition, 66 foundations had been installed by the end of the year and 81 turbines had been erected that had not yet fed any electricity into the grid.
In total, 1639 turbines with a capacity of 9.2GW were installed in Germany at the end of 2024.
Delays in grid expansion and statutory defined flexibility in the completion of offshore wind farms mean that the expansion target of 30GW is not expected to be reached until 2031.
However, the target for 2035 of at least 40GW will be met one year early, the analysis claimed.
The report was published by the German Offshore Wind Energy Foundation and industry organisations including BWE, BWO, VDMA Power Systems, WAB and WindEnergy Network.
In a joint statement, they said: “The expansion of offshore wind energy is about to take a decisive turn.
“The new German government has every opportunity to stabilise and improve the framework conditions in such a way that investment security is guaranteed, and the climate targets are achieved at the same time.
“This includes, among other things, a reliably set expansion path – as agreed by law to at least 70GW by 2045 – with attractive areas and a reform of the tender design for offshore wind projects.”
The industry stakeholders warned that the current practice of offshore wind energy tenders is not in line with the necessary expansion, as the focus on state revenues increases electricity costs and puts immense financial pressure on the supply chain.
They also called on the government to take prompt action to ensure the safety of offshore wind turbines and the associated grid connection.
In addition, they highlighted the need for expanded and modernised ports, with heavy-duty areas for the assembly, logistics and maintenance of offshore wind turbines.