Germany's new offshore wind power expansion plans must consider environmental limits, NGO warns

The German Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) has warned that new expansion targets for offshore wind power in the North Sea and Baltic Sea could pose a risk to the environment, reports Tageszeitung (taz). NABU marine conservation expert Kim Detloff said he sees a risk of speedy expansion taking precedence over quality, leading wind farms to be built in the wrong locations. "The energy transition is not an economic stimulus programme for clammy shipyards and coastal countries," said Detloff. Olaf Lies, environment and energy minister in coastal federal state Lower Saxony's, said tenders could start in 2023 and construction in 2027, adding that beyond the now planned 20 gigawatts (GW) offshore wind power capacity in German waters, there even was potential for 50 GW in the German North Sea alone. In scenarios of more than 50 GW of installed capacity or more one would have industrial parks but "no more healthy nature outside the front door," Detloff said.

Germany's northern states and federal government have said they want to nearly triple the country's installed offshore wind power capacity within 10 years with a new expansion target of 20 GW by 2030. About 1,350 offshore wind turbines with a combined capacity of 6.6 GW are currently connected to the grid in Germany.