German onshore wind power sees record growth in 2017

Onshore wind power in Germany grew by about 1,700 turbines, with a total capacity of roughly 5,300 megawatts (MW) in 2017, a gross increase of 15 percent compared to the previous year, according to the German Wind Energy Association (BWE). In a press release, the BWE said “2017 was the year with the strongest expansion so far,” bringing the total number of onshore wind turbines in Germany up to 28,675, with a total capacity of 50,770 MW. The BWE and the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) expect onshore wind power growth of 3,500 MW in 2018 but said this was difficult to gauge as flaws in the bidding process for Germany’s onshore wind capacity left uncertainty over whether many projects would be implemented. VDMA head Matthias Zelinger said more capacity should be auctioned off to guarantee steady expansion and protect the climate. Germany’s negotiating coalition parties, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative CDU/CSU alliance and the Social Democrats (SPD), have said they want to hold additional auctions to make progress towards Germany’s postponed 2020 climate goal, and boost renewables to cover 65 percent of German power production by 2030. Zelinger said the debate over changes to the auction system has to begin soon as “there will be a significant dismantling of older installations by the early 2020s.”

Find the press release in German here.

For background, read the CLEW dossier Onshore wind power in Germany.