New government must act: industry needs more planning!

 

IIn 2024, 73 offshore wind turbines with a capacity of 742 MW were put into operation and additional new foundations and systems were built

• Expansion of offshore wind energy is facing decisive decisions
• The future federal government remains required to secure sufficient offshore wind energy areas and to offer a reliable expansion perspective
• Offshore wind energy expansion requires modernized and expanded seaports
• 30 GW target is expected to be reached in 2031

Berlin, Bremerhaven, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Rostock, February 4, 2025 – The industry associations of the German offshore wind industry and the non-profit OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY Foundation today published the expansion figures for 2024. The figures prepared by the consulting firm Deutsche WindGuard show that during this period a total of 73 offshore wind turbines with an output of 742 megawatts (MW) fed into the power grid for the first time in Germany. In addition, by the end of the year, 66 foundations had been installed and 81 turbines had been erected that had not yet fed into the grid. In total, 2024 turbines with an output of 1.639 gigawatts (GW) were installed in Germany at the end of 9,2. Delays in grid expansion and legally stipulated flexibility in the completion of offshore wind farms mean that the expansion target of 30 GW is expected to be reached in 2031. The target for 2035 of at least 40 GW, on the other hand, will be met a year earlier. This requires plannable framework conditions for the industry.

"The expansion of offshore wind energy is facing decisive decisions. The new federal government has every opportunity to stabilize and improve the framework conditions in such a way that investment security is guaranteed and at the same time the climate goals are achieved. This includes, among other things, a reliably set expansion path - as legally agreed to at least 70 GW by 2045 - with attractive areas and a reform of the tender design for offshore wind projects," comment the industry organizations BWE, BWO, VDMA Power Systems, WAB eV, WindEnergy Network eV and the OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY Foundation on the current challenges facing the industry.

Investment decisions need reliability

An expansion of the supply of green energy lowers prices for consumers, as does a steady utilization of supply chains. Reliable expansion targets are therefore of central importance for the long-term planning of the industry and the expansion of offshore wind energy projects. A renewed system breakdown in the development of this key technology must be avoided at all costs. The federal government remains required to secure the offshore wind energy areas necessary for the legally defined long-term expansion path and to offer a reliable expansion perspective in order to achieve the climate targets by 2030 and beyond and to secure the value creation potential. The new area development plan of the responsible federal agency offers less clarity than an earlier version about 20 GW expansion by the mid-2030s. The new government must create this clarity immediately. Area potential should be exploited efficiently, also in cooperation with neighboring countries.

reform tender design

The current practice in offshore wind energy tenders does not fit the necessary expansion, as the focus on government revenues increases electricity costs and puts immense financial pressure on the supply chain. A reformed tender design should also meet a number of requirements with regard to tender criteria:

• be designed to be as European-harmonized as possible
• create the conditions for low electricity prices
• strengthen the European value chain and the innovative strength of the industry
• ensure a high probability of project realization
• Reduce risks and secure investments
• preserve the diversity of actors

This will enable value creation potential to be leveraged, the necessary investments worth billions to be mobilised and reliability to be achieved for the project sponsors.

Focus on the security of energy infrastructure

As offshore wind energy projects become increasingly important for energy supply, the need to better protect critical maritime infrastructure is also increasing. The federal government must therefore take timely measures to ensure the physical security of offshore wind turbines and the associated grid connection. This includes clarifying responsibilities, training exercises with the federal police or state water protection police and the famous telephone number with contact persons in an emergency. In addition, it is essential to ensure the cybersecurity of the plants with political measures, such as through effective implementation of the NIS2 or the EU Cyber ​​Resilience Act.

Port expansion as key to the energy transition

A rapid expansion of offshore wind energy requires modernized, expanded and efficient ports. The assembly, logistics and maintenance of offshore wind turbines require sufficient heavy-duty areas, which are also used for onshore wind energy. This is a national task. The federal government must therefore take on more responsibility in the coming legislative period and support the expansion or modernization of the heavy-duty areas in the ports required for the energy transition.

Offshore wind as an opportunity for the maritime industry

The expansion of offshore wind energy offers great opportunities for the maritime industry and its suppliers. From converter and foundation production, port logistics and shipbuilding to maintenance technology: the offshore wind industry creates new added value and strengthens Germany as a business location in the long term. In view of the currently weak economy, this must be the basic understanding of a business and industry-friendly policy. This year, Germany is hosting the conference of the North Sea states. The agenda here includes concrete decisions on the coordination of project processes, safety initiatives, tendering regimes and network and port infrastructure.

The commissioners of the half-yearly expansion statistics for offshore wind energy:

• Federal Association for Offshore Wind Energy (BWO)
• German Wind Energy Association (BWE)
• OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY Foundation
• VDMA Power Systems
• WAB eV
  
• WindEnergy Network eV (WEN)
  

The entire press release can be downloaded here: Press release on offshore statistics for 2024