Strong uptick in expansion of onshore wind farms in Germany

Germany has added 50 percent more new wind power capacity in the first nine months of 2023 than in the same time period last year, reports news agency dpa in an article published by the Stuttgarter Zeitung. Preliminary figures seen by dpa show that 518 new turbines were constructed between January and September, corresponding to an additional 2.4 gigawatts capacity. Most of the expansion occurred in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia, all northern states, following. However, 316 old turbines were shut down since January, leaving a net increase of 202 installations, with newer ones being much more efficient.
Part of the reason for the uptick is the increased rate of approval for new turbines, the agency reported. The first nine months of this year saw the approval of 976 turbines across the country, equivalent to an capacity increase of 77 percent. According to the Fachagentur Windenergie, who provided the data, there have never been so many approvals during the time period in previous years.

Despite more approvals, the wind industry has said the country’s autobahn operator are sabotaging the roll-out of wind turbines by refusing the necessary permits to transport parts. Southern states are also slow to grow their wind industries, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently referring to their expansion as depressing.