energy
Development of onshore wind power stutters
Wind turbines in East Brandenburg. Photo: Patrick Pleul/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
A legislative package is intended to give green electricity a strong boost – the current situation is rather gloomy. The industry wants more speed, especially in the approval process.
The expansion of wind power on land is to be significantly accelerated in the coming years – but at the moment it is still stuttering. In the first quarter of 2022, the number of newly approved wind turbines decreased compared to the same period last year.
The number of wind turbines that were newly commissioned on land also fell, according to preliminary figures from the Wind Energy Agency, which were available to the German Press Agency. The Federal Wind Energy Association spoke of a dangerous signal and called for a “turbo” for accelerated procedures.
In the first quarter, 204 wind turbines were approved nationwide, but they are not yet in operation – according to the preliminary figures, that was almost 14 percent less than in the same quarter of the previous year. Most wind turbines were approved in Lower Saxony (43), Schleswig-Holstein (39) and Hesse (36). Total approved capacity fell by 8 percent.
“The upward trend that we have experienced since last year will slow down significantly in the first quarter of 2022,” said Hermann Albers, President of the German Wind Energy Association. “The opposite would be required.” The significant increase in generator output does not compensate for the decline in the number of permits.
The number of wind turbines that were newly commissioned also declined. From January to the end of March there were 93 wind turbines – 29 percent fewer than in the same quarter of the previous year. The total output was 381 megawatts – that’s 27.5 percent less. According to the industry, systems could still be reported up to four weeks after they went online.
Most wind turbines were connected to the grid in Schleswig-Holstein (25), North Rhine-Westphalia (23) and Brandenburg (21) in the first quarter – in Bavaria, on the other hand, there was not a single one. In 2021, 484 new onshore wind turbines went into operation in Germany with a capacity of 1.9 gigawatts (GW).
Additions always fluctuate relatively strongly over the course of the year, said Albers. “Nevertheless, the poor first quarter hints at growing challenges in costs, supply chains and transportation permits. Where politicians can act, they must now take action. This is overdue, especially with sluggish transport permits.”
Just last Wednesday, the federal cabinet launched a comprehensive package of measures presented by Economics and Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) to massively advance the expansion of green electricity from wind and sun. On the one hand, this is intended to achieve climate goals and, on the other hand, to reduce dependence on Russian gas, oil and coal.
According to the German Wind Energy Association, areas and permits are needed to achieve the goals. The approval period of currently six years on average must be significantly reduced.
Habeck wants to ensure that two percent of the land area in Germany is reserved for wind energy in the future – this has not been achieved by a long shot. Habeck had recently shown himself confident that an agreement could be reached with the federal states in a few weeks. Above all, the strictest nationwide regulation in Bavaria on the distance from residential buildings to wind turbines is controversial.
Habeck’s goal is for onshore wind turbines totaling around 115 GW to be installed in Germany by 2030. For comparison: At the end of 2021, the total installed capacity was around 56 GW.