Northern states say German autobahn exits must be enlarged for wind turbine blade transport

Many autobahn exits in northern Germany are too small to handle the transportation of modern wind turbine rotor blades and should be enlarged, according to several German states, Focus Online reports. “It’s a problem that motorway access points at the back of seaports are not designed to meet the requirements of rotor blades with a length of up to 90 metres,” the states transport ministry said.

“We have to prevent the components from getting stuck in narrow exits,” Lower Saxony’s transport minister Olaf Lies told news agency dpa. “We have to remedy this.” The states urged structural upgrades to avert a bottleneck in Germany’s wind energy expansion.

Four out of five rotor blades being used in Germany arrive at northern German ports, such as Cuxhaven, and are then moved by road, according to Focus Online. Unsuitable autobahn exits in the region lead to significant delays and higher costs, but there is disagreement who should pay for upgrades. According to the transport ministry of northern city state Bremen, “these modifications serve the common good and are essential for the energy transition.” The modifications should therefore be financed by the federal government, the ministry argued. However, the federal transport ministry has already rejected this demand.

Industry groups hope the expansion of wind power will continue rapidly in Germany, after a record number of turbine construction licences were given out last year. The industry has also called for easing transport hurdles to smoothen the rollout, warning that short-term expansion targets in Germany at risk due to implementation delays that are partly caused by transport challenges.