Reports related to this article:
Project(s): View 2 related projects in PECWeb
en
Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) - Germany has passed the 1 gigawatt (GW) milestone for offshore wind capacity.
The findings show that there were 258 offshore wind turbines in operation at the end of December 2014, generating 1,049.2 megawatts (MW) of electricity.
2014 was a turning point for the offshore wind sector in Germany with 142 turbines with a generating capacity of 528.9 MW being connected to the grid. The findings compiled by Deutsche WindGuard uses data from four key organisations: VDMA Power Systems, the German Wind Energy Association (BWE), the Wind Energy Agency (WAB) and the German Offshore Wind Energy Foundation (SOW).
"Out at sea we have now officially broken through the gigawatt barrier for installed capacity" said Norbert Giese, chairman of the VDMA steering committee for the offshore wind industry and board member of the German Offshore Wind Energy Foundation. "This corresponds to an investment volume of around 4 billion ($4.65 billion). In addition, turbine, foundation and grid technology exports are also in the billion-euro range. In 2015 we are expecting up to 2 GW of offshore wind capacity to be newly connected to the grid. By the end of 2015, we will see a total of some 3 GW installed capacity online, which corresponds to an investment of 10 billion ($11.6 billion) in the domestic market of the German offshore wind industry." In 2014, a further 268 turbines with a capacity of 1,218 MW were completed but not connected to the grid before the end of the year. Another 220 foundations are already in place awaiting turbine installation.
Windfarm operators put the surge in installations down to the government's revised Renewable Energy Act -- the EEG -- which came into effect last August.
"The EEG 2014 has established the framework for the scheduled expansion of the offshore wind industry, paving the way for more added value in Germany, an increase in exports, and securing jobs throughout the decade until 2020," explained Dr. Klaus Meier, chairman of the board of the Wind Energy Agency. "In addition to the future EEG 3.0, it is essential that sufficient grid capacity is provided now for the period starting in 2021, which will mean investment and exports, added value and employment in Germany."
Hermann Albers, president of the German Wind Energy Association BWE, added: "The figures we have presented show that, despite all the past challenges, we have achieved a stable growth of offshore wind capacity. The offshore technology, which has great potential for realizing the energy transition and ensuring security of supply in Germany, is on the edge of a decisive breakthrough. More than ever, a reliable legal framework is decisive for the future development. Only when investment security is ensured, it will be possible to fully exploit the cost reduction potential, maintain Germany's leading technological position, and harness export success on a growing global market. We are convinced that 2015 will be the year of the Energiewende, the energy transition".
Last month Industrial Info reported on the new DanTysk offshore windfarm in the German North Sea supplying its first power to the grid. The 80-turbine project is capable of supplying power for up to 400,000 homes. It is owned jointly by Vattenfall AB (Stockholm, Sweden) (51%) and German municipal utility company, Stadtwerke Munchen GmBH (SWM) (Munich) (49%). The partners are also working together on their second offshore windfarm in the German North Sea, the 288-MW Sandbank project, located northwest of DanTysk. For additional information, see December 9, 2014, article - First Power at German DanTysk Offshore.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, three offices in North America and nine international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. To contact an office in your area, visit the Industrial Info "Contact Us" page.
The findings show that there were 258 offshore wind turbines in operation at the end of December 2014, generating 1,049.2 megawatts (MW) of electricity.
2014 was a turning point for the offshore wind sector in Germany with 142 turbines with a generating capacity of 528.9 MW being connected to the grid. The findings compiled by Deutsche WindGuard uses data from four key organisations: VDMA Power Systems, the German Wind Energy Association (BWE), the Wind Energy Agency (WAB) and the German Offshore Wind Energy Foundation (SOW).
"Out at sea we have now officially broken through the gigawatt barrier for installed capacity" said Norbert Giese, chairman of the VDMA steering committee for the offshore wind industry and board member of the German Offshore Wind Energy Foundation. "This corresponds to an investment volume of around 4 billion ($4.65 billion). In addition, turbine, foundation and grid technology exports are also in the billion-euro range. In 2015 we are expecting up to 2 GW of offshore wind capacity to be newly connected to the grid. By the end of 2015, we will see a total of some 3 GW installed capacity online, which corresponds to an investment of 10 billion ($11.6 billion) in the domestic market of the German offshore wind industry." In 2014, a further 268 turbines with a capacity of 1,218 MW were completed but not connected to the grid before the end of the year. Another 220 foundations are already in place awaiting turbine installation.
Windfarm operators put the surge in installations down to the government's revised Renewable Energy Act -- the EEG -- which came into effect last August.
"The EEG 2014 has established the framework for the scheduled expansion of the offshore wind industry, paving the way for more added value in Germany, an increase in exports, and securing jobs throughout the decade until 2020," explained Dr. Klaus Meier, chairman of the board of the Wind Energy Agency. "In addition to the future EEG 3.0, it is essential that sufficient grid capacity is provided now for the period starting in 2021, which will mean investment and exports, added value and employment in Germany."
Hermann Albers, president of the German Wind Energy Association BWE, added: "The figures we have presented show that, despite all the past challenges, we have achieved a stable growth of offshore wind capacity. The offshore technology, which has great potential for realizing the energy transition and ensuring security of supply in Germany, is on the edge of a decisive breakthrough. More than ever, a reliable legal framework is decisive for the future development. Only when investment security is ensured, it will be possible to fully exploit the cost reduction potential, maintain Germany's leading technological position, and harness export success on a growing global market. We are convinced that 2015 will be the year of the Energiewende, the energy transition".
Last month Industrial Info reported on the new DanTysk offshore windfarm in the German North Sea supplying its first power to the grid. The 80-turbine project is capable of supplying power for up to 400,000 homes. It is owned jointly by Vattenfall AB (Stockholm, Sweden) (51%) and German municipal utility company, Stadtwerke Munchen GmBH (SWM) (Munich) (49%). The partners are also working together on their second offshore windfarm in the German North Sea, the 288-MW Sandbank project, located northwest of DanTysk. For additional information, see December 9, 2014, article - First Power at German DanTysk Offshore.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, three offices in North America and nine international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. To contact an office in your area, visit the Industrial Info "Contact Us" page.
