Status of Offshore Wind Energy Development in Germany
First half of 2024
| © EnBW/Weltenangler
Status: 30. June 2024
1.602 Offshore wind turbines (OWT) | 8,9 GW Capacity of offshore wind turbines
Offshore Wind Energy Development
As of June 30, 2024, 1,602 offshore wind turbines (OWT) with a total capacity of just under 8.9 GW were in operation in Germany. Of these, 36 turbines with a total capacity of 377 MW fed into the electricity grid for the first time in the first half of 2024. In addition, capacity modifications were performed on 78 existing turbines over the course of the half-year. New foundations were also installed and some of the associated wind turbines had already been erected by mid-2024.
With the offshore wind turbines commissioned in the first half of 2024, the implementation of the projects awarded in the transitional system (tender rounds in 2017 and 2018) is progressing. The full commissioning of all turbines of the transitional system projects is planned by the end of 2025, so that the cumulative capacity of offshore wind energy in Germany is expected to increase to approximately 11 GW by 2025.
Expansion Targets Offshore Wind Energy
The political expansion targets for offshore wind energy are defined in the German Offshore Wind Energy Act (German: Windenergie-auf-See-Gesetz or WindSeeG). It specifies that the installed capacity of offshore wind turbines connected to the grid is to be increased to at least 30 GW by 2030, to at least 40 GW by 2035 and to at least 70 GW by 2045. According to the current plans of the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (German: Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie or BSH), the legally specified minimum target of 40 GW by 2035 is set to be exceeded, with 50 GW to be installed by 2035. In order to achieve the expansion targets for offshore wind energy, the BSH is constantly designating new areas for future expansion in the Site Development Plan (German: Flächenentwick-lungsplan or FEP). The FEP 2023 was published at the beginning of 2023. Its update was initiated in September 2023 with the publication of the preliminary draft and continued with the publication of the draft in June 2024. The latest draft specifies timeframes for wind energy sites and grid connection systems up to 2037.
As of mid-2024, it is expected that offshore wind energy projects totalling just under 27 GW will be able to feed into the grid by the end of 2030. The legally defined expansion target of 30 GW by 2030 is therefore not expected to be reached. The expansion target of 50 GW by 2035 could be achieved with the new plans included in the draft FEP 2024, if all sites are awarded and the projects are commissioned in the planned commissioning year. In order to achieve the long-term expansion target of 70 GW by 2045, further specifications of around 9 GW are required in the FEP.
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Activities in Offshore Wind Energy Projects
By mid-2024, 29 offshore wind energy projects (OWP) were fully operational in Germany. Two further projects, Gode Wind 3 and Baltic Eagle, are expected to be commissioned by the end of 2024. The foundation installations for both projects were already completed in 2023. Installation of the turbines started at the beginning of 2024 and many of these turbines have already been commissioned. The installation of the foundations for the Borkum Riffgrund 3 project began at the end of 2023, it continued in the first half of 2024 and the first turbines were installed. Installation of the first foundations for the OWP EnBW He Dreiht began in May 2024. In addition to these construction activities, in the Windanker and NC 1-4 projects the final investment decision was made in spring 2024. Further offshore wind energy projects had an award/claim for grid connection at the end of June 2024.