Released April 21, 2011 | GALWAY, IRELAND
en
GALWAY, IRELAND--April 21, 2011--Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Wind energy is set to play an increasing role in Germany's energy future as the country works out a faster-than-planned exit from nuclear power.
The vast majority of Germany's wind power comes from onshore windfarms, but it is offshore projects that look set to really take off in the coming decade. The latest figures from the government's Trade & Invest department and the German Wind Energy Association (BWE) show that at the end of 2009 Germany had an installed capacity of 25,777-megawatts (MW), with just 60 MW of that coming from offshore. Between now and 2020, offshore projects will rocket to 10,000 MW.
At the end of 2009, 31 offshore projects had received formal approval, with more than 90 others in various stages of development. Last April, Germany celebrated the commissioning of its first offshore windfarm, the 60-MW Alpha Ventus project, located 45 kilometres (28 miles) north of the island of Borkum in the North Sea. For additional information, see April 29, 2010, article - Germany Commissions First Offshore Windfarm.
By 2020, Germany is aiming to have 55,000 MW of total wind energy capacity, which will be capable of supplying approximately 25% of the electricity demand, up from 7.5% today.
In the past month alone, renewable energy technologies have received a positive boost from the Japanese nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi. Germany's government had voted at the end of last year to controversially allow life extensions of up to 14 years for the country's oldest nuclear reactors. However, since the Fukushima Daiichi incidents, the government has ordered its seven oldest reactors to be closed for a period of three months and has indicated that it is looking to exit the nuclear power space faster than originally planned. Nuclear power accounts for about 25% of Germany's electricity needs, and the government is now trying to ramp up alternative sources.
This week, the government drafted a bill to support carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects to speed up the development of German CCS demonstration projects and make them eligible for funding from the European Union. With CCS, older coal-fired plants will be able to operate longer due to lower emissions and help plug the looming power gap left by an early exit from nuclear. For additional information, see April 18, 2011, article - Germany Turns to Carbon Storage Following Japanese Nuclear Disaster.
Within Germany's various states, wind power has taken on a new significance in the past few weeks. The state government of Germany's largest industrialised region, North Rhine Westphalia, has just revealed a plan to increase its wind energy capacity from 3.7% to 15%, by making more land available and relaxing the rules surrounding windfarm development. It currently has 2,000 working wind turbines, and this is expected to jump to about 2,800 in the coming years.
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Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. IIR'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.
The vast majority of Germany's wind power comes from onshore windfarms, but it is offshore projects that look set to really take off in the coming decade. The latest figures from the government's Trade & Invest department and the German Wind Energy Association (BWE) show that at the end of 2009 Germany had an installed capacity of 25,777-megawatts (MW), with just 60 MW of that coming from offshore. Between now and 2020, offshore projects will rocket to 10,000 MW.
At the end of 2009, 31 offshore projects had received formal approval, with more than 90 others in various stages of development. Last April, Germany celebrated the commissioning of its first offshore windfarm, the 60-MW Alpha Ventus project, located 45 kilometres (28 miles) north of the island of Borkum in the North Sea. For additional information, see April 29, 2010, article - Germany Commissions First Offshore Windfarm.
By 2020, Germany is aiming to have 55,000 MW of total wind energy capacity, which will be capable of supplying approximately 25% of the electricity demand, up from 7.5% today.
In the past month alone, renewable energy technologies have received a positive boost from the Japanese nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi. Germany's government had voted at the end of last year to controversially allow life extensions of up to 14 years for the country's oldest nuclear reactors. However, since the Fukushima Daiichi incidents, the government has ordered its seven oldest reactors to be closed for a period of three months and has indicated that it is looking to exit the nuclear power space faster than originally planned. Nuclear power accounts for about 25% of Germany's electricity needs, and the government is now trying to ramp up alternative sources.
This week, the government drafted a bill to support carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects to speed up the development of German CCS demonstration projects and make them eligible for funding from the European Union. With CCS, older coal-fired plants will be able to operate longer due to lower emissions and help plug the looming power gap left by an early exit from nuclear. For additional information, see April 18, 2011, article - Germany Turns to Carbon Storage Following Japanese Nuclear Disaster.
Within Germany's various states, wind power has taken on a new significance in the past few weeks. The state government of Germany's largest industrialised region, North Rhine Westphalia, has just revealed a plan to increase its wind energy capacity from 3.7% to 15%, by making more land available and relaxing the rules surrounding windfarm development. It currently has 2,000 working wind turbines, and this is expected to jump to about 2,800 in the coming years.
View Plant Profile - 1071374
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. IIR'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.
