From the point of view of the industry, an end to the slack in the expansion of wind turbines on land is in sight. More new wind turbines were connected to the grid in the first three months of the year. The number of wind turbines that were newly approved grew significantly compared to the same quarter of the previous year. This was the result of a preliminary evaluation by the Onshore Wind Energy Agency, which was available to the German Press Agency. However, the German Wind Energy Association criticized a “de facto failure” in the southern region. Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg lagged behind when it came to expansion.
According to the figures, 117 new wind turbines with a total output of 546 megawatts went into operation nationwide from January to the end of March. That was 17 percent more than in the same quarter of the previous year. The number could still increase, however, since commissioning could be reported until the end of April, it said.
There was a significant increase in permits. In the first quarter, 295 plants with a total output of around 1.65 gigawatts were newly approved. Compared to the same quarter of the previous year, this is an increase of 38 percent.
South lags behind
The approval of a wind turbine by the responsible authorities is considered a crucial hurdle. Then there is an invitation to tender, then the construction of a wind turbine. According to the German Wind Energy Association, it takes an average of 20 months after approval, in the best-case scenario, for a new wind turbine to be connected to the grid.
However, the association described the development in the south as still worrying. Of the previous expansion and approval volume in 2023, the southern region accounted for only 7.8 percent of the expansion and only 4.5 percent of the approvals. Only one new facility was approved in Baden-Württemberg and only two in Bavaria. North Rhine-Westphalia, Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony continued to drive both expansion and the volume of new permits.
“The increase in the volume of approvals compared to the previous year is a good sign and is positive,” said the President of the Federal Association, Hermann Albers, of the German Press Agency. The aim must be to approve new plants with a volume of 10 gigawatts by the end of the year. “We’re still a long way from that. The fact that Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg and Saxony are lagging behind despite good conditions is worrying. In Hesse and Thuringia, too, extensions and permits are being stalled. The de facto failure of the southern region is an oath of disclosure for all those responsible in these federal states. ” A new awareness is urgently needed.
Wind energy plays a key role in climate goals
Last year, the federal government decided on extensive measures to accelerate the expansion of renewable energies from wind and sun. Wind turbines on land in particular are often controversial locally.
Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) aims to quadruple the current expansion. Further obstacles are now to be removed, as Habeck said about two weeks ago at a “wind summit” with representatives of the energy industry and countries.
The expansion of renewable energies from wind and sun plays a key role in achieving Germany’s climate protection goals and becoming less dependent on fossil energies such as coal and gas. According to the plans of the federal government, 80 percent of the electricity should come from renewable energies in 2030, currently it is about half. The demand for electricity is likely to increase enormously, due to millions of electric cars and heat pumps.
The number of wind turbines newly connected to the grid increased last year. 551 wind turbines with an output of 2.4 gigawatts were installed. From the point of view of the energy sector, however, the previous number of extensions and approvals is far from sufficient to achieve the goals of the federal government.
The German Wind Energy Association has long complained about a north-south divide in the expansion of wind power. According to industry figures, Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia accounted for 77 percent of the new building last year. Binding area targets have now been agreed for all countries.
