2018 – Planning instead of chance: The first area development plan creates order at sea 

With the first area development plan (FEP), the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency is Hydrography (BSH) 2018 Structure in offshore development. Systematic advance planning has since replaced the project-driven process – a milestone for the energy transition at sea. Lea Haefke heads the responsible department at BSH. 

Ms. Haefke, with the first area development plan 2018, the BSH has ushered in a new era of Offshore wind planning. How did you experience this moment – and what was the biggest difference from the time before?      

"The area development plan was Part a major system change for the offshore sector. After the first years of the committed, but uncoordinated start into the Offshore energy production, a point had been reached where it was necessary to expand both This is where the BSH came into play in the specialist planning with the area development plan then plays an even more central role." 

Work on the FINO II research platform © DNV
The FEP was a milestone, but also a mammoth project. What were the biggest challenges in creating it? 

"A major challenge was certainly the rapid succession of political decisions for an instrument such as the spatial development plan. The law stipulates that that the land development plan is updated at least every four years. Now At the beginning of the year we already had the fourth plan with the area development plan 2025 published! I see the FEP as an enabler for offshore expansion. Therefore, we are waiting not wait until laws are passed, but carry out our procedures regularly already parallel to the legislative process." 

Bubble curtain use during the construction of an Orsted wind farm © Orsted
The FEP has laid the foundation for future calls for tenders – with clear specifications for Areas, grid connections and schedules. What, in your opinion, has been particularly good fworks?     

"The interplay of the new instruments, from the FEP to the preliminary investigation and the tender, has worked very well from the outset. is workingThis was possible thanks to the trusting Cooperation between authorities, including across departments. Our goal is to the spatial development plan to implement the political decisions quickly. We had each already parallel to each other start, we are still partly dealing with transitional systems and completed projects. This allowed us to together in good time. Furthermore, it is important to me to To listen to and include interests and concerns. Building on this, we are looking for sustainable Solutions that create reliability for the expansion of offshore wind energy." 

Hoist exercise during the construction of the Arkona wind farm
Today, the FEP is a central control instrument in offshore wind development. What was Was 2018 the most important step in making it a sustainable planning tool? 

"This was certainly the decision to include the areas for wind energy in the strategic planning after the grid connections. This integrated approach was, in my opinion, This is also the prerequisite for achieving the later increases in expansion targets in the short term. to implement." 

Construction of the Argon wind farm off Rügen
 What Also important in 2018 was:  
  •  In Europe, 18 new offshore wind turbines were connected to the grid in 409 projects, generating an additional net capacity of 2.649 MW.
  • At the end of 2018, Europe had an installed offshore wind capacity of 18.499 MW.
  • In Germany, 835 MW were fully commissioned: 450 MW Borkum Riffgrund, 385 MW Arkona. 
  • German tender: 1610 MW go to EnBW, Ørsted and RWE.
  • The interconnector project “Combined Grid Solution (CGS) Kriegers Flak”, the connection between the transformer platforms of the German offshore wind farm Baltic 2 and the Danish wind farm Kriegers Flak, is ready for operation.