This week in Berlin, Germany, key offshore wind industry associations presented total offshore wind installation numbers for 2018, while urging the government to put in place more favourable offshore wind policies.

According to Deutsche WindGuard, 1,305 offshore wind turbines with a total capacity of 6,382 MW fed into the grid in 2018. Last year alone, 136 new turbines with a capacity of 969 MW were connected to the grid.

Another 276 MW of capacity was fully installed but is not yet feeding into the grid and another 966 MW of offshore wind capacity is currently under construction.

According to the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy, the offshore wind industry has invested more than 15 billion euros since 2013.

However, the industry stakeholders, which represent BWE, BWO, Stiftung OFFSHORE-WINDENERGIE, VDMA Power Systems and WAB, cautioned that current political conditions are not favourable for continued robust offshore wind development.

The associations said that the Omnibus Energy Act passed in December 2018 does not contain a special contribution for offshore wind energy as was originally planned. They believe that opportunity to launch the special contribution provided for in the coalition agreement in the first quarter of 2019 by awarding at least 1,500 MW to use the converter capacities still available should now be seized.

In addition to the expansion of renewable energies, the success of energy transition in Germany depends to a large extent on grid expansion and progress in sector coupling. The government should therefore give priority to the expansion of the large transmission grids, as provided for in its Action Plan Power Grids, and quickly anchor the numerous proposals for grid optimisation in law, said the associations, adding that regulatory hurdles for the further coupling of sectors should be removed swiftly.

Offshore wind is key to the expansion of renewable energy generation worldwide, which is an important topic that POWERGEN explores. The 2019 event takes place November 19-21 and we’re accepting abstracts now. Submit your speaking idea today and mark your calendar to attend the show.



