Germany largely on track for offshore wind expansion targets – industry
Clean Energy Wire
Germany is likely to reach its target of having a total offshore wind electricity capacity of 30 gigawatt (GW) in 2031, one year later than planned, said several industry groups in a joint press release. But the target for 2035 of at least 40 GW is on course to be met one year earlier if the government can create planning security.
The wind energy associations warned that the next government after the February snap election should stick to existing expansion targets, and must ensure that the necessary areas in the North and Baltic Seas were available. They also called on the government to safeguard the security of offshore turbines and the grid, protecting them from physical and cyber sabotage.
In 2024, Germany connected 73 new offshore wind turbines with a total capacity of 742 megawatt (MW) to the grid and installed more than 80 additional turbines which did not yet feed electricity into the system. In total, 1,639 turbines with a capacity of 9.2 GW were installed in the country at the end of 2024.
Germany has made offshore wind power a key pillar of its plans for an almost fully renewable electricity supply. The total offshore wind yield for the year reached 25.7 TWh, compared to 23.5 TWh in 2023. The country has set targets to increase offshore wind capacity to 30 GW by 2030, 40 GW by 2035 and 70 GW by 2045.
