Andreas Wagner, Managing Director of the German Offshore Wind Energy Foundation on offshore wind energy market developments in Germany (and Europe) and cost reduction potential
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This study analyses the effects of the construction of eight offshore wind farms within the German North Sea between 2009 and 2013 on harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). It combines porpoise monitoring data from passive acoustic monitoring using Porpoise Detectors (POD data 2010-2013) and aerial surveys (2009-2013) with data on noise levels and other piling characteristics. These data were analysed in detail in connection to pile driving activities, most of which occurred with application of noise mitigation techniques in order to reduce disturbance effects.
In the first six months of 2016, 43 new offshore wind turbines were connected to the grid, with an overall capacity of 258 megawatts. By 30 June 2016 there was a total of 835 offshore wind turbines feeding 3,552.2 megawatts of power into the grid. Another 54 turbines, with a capacity of 324 megawatts have already been erected and are due to go on grid shortly. Foundations have been erected for a further 142 turbines. The industry anticipates that in the course of the year new offshore wind turbines will feed a further 700 megawatts into the grid in Germany.
The wind industry associations welcome the initiative taken by the ministers from the North Seas countries and stand ready to contribute to regional cooperation. By taking a step-by-step approach, based on the actual challenges experienced by the wind industry, substantial gains can be made. Success can be ensured by close collaboration between the government authorities and the industry stakeholders including the national associations in the governance of the renewed regional cooperation in the North Seas. Furthermore, they would welcome in the not so distant future a similar development in the Mediterranean. The German Offshore Wind Energy Foundation has realeased a statement together with the Danish Wind Industry Association, the Hellenic Wind Energy Association, the Irish Wind Energy Association, the Netherlands Wind Energy Association, the Norwegian Wind Energy Association, NOW Ireland and RenewableUK.
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The Baltic InteGrid project will provide a professional network for expertise exchange and a state-of-the-art interdisciplinary research on the optimization potential of offshore wind energy in the Baltic Sea Region by applying the meshed grid approach.
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Offshore wind turbines with a total capacity of 2,282.4 megawatts went on grid 2015. This demonstrates the capability of the German offshore wind industry and meets the expectations expressed at the beginning of 2015. This will however initially remain a unique record, as it is based on the catch-up effects of grid connection. The industry considers reliable, continuous expansion as a basis for more climate protection and value creation more important in the long term than any one-off records. To achieve such continuity it is necessary that the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) 2016 and the Offshore Grid Development Plan (O-NEP) 2025 are properly coordinated.
In the first half of 2015, another 422 offshore wind turbines, with a combined capacity of 1,765.3 megawatts went on line. Up to 30 June 2015 a total of 668 offshore turbines with an overall capacity of 2,777.8 megawatts fed power into the German grid. With the current offshore wind energy output the system can supply around three million households with power. Another 90 turbines with a total capacity of 380.7 megawatts are completely installed and due start feeding in soon. The foundations for another 84 turbines have already been erected. Hence the industry expects a total of around 2,250 megawatts of new offshore wind energy capacity to be feeding into the grid for the first time in 2015.
In this booklet published by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) you can learn more about offshore wind energy in Germany, ranging from the licencing process of offshore wind farms to possible job careers in the sector.
Andreas Wagner, Managing Director of the German Offshore Wind Energy Foundation: Offshore Wind Energy and Maritime Spatial Planning
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The German market for offshore wind energy projects broke through the gigawatt barrier last year. By 31 December 2014, 258 offshore wind turbines in the German North and Baltic Seas with a total capacity of 1,049.2 megawatts fed into the grid. This figure was ascertained by Deutsche WindGuard on behalf of the four organisations VDMA Power Systems, the German Wind Energy Association (BWE), the Wind Energy Agency (WAB) andthe German Offshore Wind Energy Foundation (SOW).