Germany needs to install about 22 GW of offshore wind capacity within eight years in order to achieve its 2030 expansion goal and this requires determined political action, several industry associations said in a joint statement on Monday.
The deployment of offshore wind energy progressed in 2022 but the growth is far from what it should be to reach the target at the end of the decade. As many as 38 wind turbines at sea with a capacity of 342 MW were connected to the German grid last year as part of the Kaskasi project located north of the Heligoland island, bringing the country's wind capacity in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea to a total of 8,100 MW.
In the coming years, the expansion rate for offshore wind is expected to accelerate significantly, especially after 2025. In 2023, the Federal Network Agency will seek to allocate 8.8 GW of capacity in two rounds -- 7.0 GW for projects in the North Sea and Baltic Sea and 1.8 GW for projects in the North Sea.
To achieve the targeted expansion, the industry groups emphasised the need for joint action with the federal government in several areas, such as the creation of stable supply chains, expansion of manufacturing capacity and the training and qualification of skilled workers.
Another issue that needs to be addressed is the Offshore Wind Energy Law (WindSeeG) that was introduced in 2022. The legislation should be amended to limit the maximum capacity to be awarded per bidder and year and ensure that various players are involved in project planning, according to the industry associations.
The joint statement further highlights the need for port infrastructure and a significant increase in the construction of foundation structures, transformer and converter platforms as well as service and maintenance vessels by German shipyards.
Additionally, a regulatory framework must be created to support the development of business models for green hydrogen production at sea. This will enable the scale-up of offshore hydrogen production through auctions targeting at least 500 MW annually from 2023 on.
The industry organisations that released the joint statement include wind energy association BWE, the Federal Association of Offshore Wind Farm Operators eV (BWO), the Offshore-Windenergie Foundation, VDMA Power Systems, Bremerhaven-based WAB eV and Wind Energy Network eV.
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Image by: Ocean Winds (www.oceanwinds.com).
