- 1,626 MW or 497 turbines newly constructed in the first semester of 2018 – significant decline in onshore wind energy expansion
- Potential of onshore wind energy to reach the 65 percent target is not being fully exploited due to a stagnation in permits
- Political stability determines industrial development and the role of the German wind industry
- Europe is on course for a solid year, but expansion is driven only by a few markets
Berlin, 26 July 2018 – Following the record expansion year 2017 for onshore wind energy in Germany, new installations are declining in 2018 as expected. The figures collected by Deutsche WindGuard show a gross increase of 1,626 MW or 497 onshore turbines in the first semester of 2018; the net increase amounted to 1,505 MW. This corresponds to a 29 per cent decline in gross expansion compared with the same period last year at 2,281 MW.
The current expansion is mainly due to the transitional phase of the old EEG. The effects of the error in allowing non-approved projects in the tenders has become visible in the order backlogs and the short-term growth outlook. “Without a doubt, an ambitious and dynamic domestic market is the prerequisite for export success in the growing world market. The goals of the coalition agreement and the EU’s new energy policy framework are correct. What the industry needs now, is a stringent implementation in tender quantities and growth figures”, demands Matthias Zelinger, Managing Director of VDMA Power Systems.
The European figures compiled by WindEurope show that Europe is on track for a solid year in new wind farm installations. In the first semester 2018, onshore wind accounted for 3.2 GW across Europe. The expansion is driven by just a handful of markets, in particular Germany, France and Denmark.
Stagnant assignment of permits in Germany slows down energy transition
For 2018 as a whole, the industry continues to expect an increase of 3,300 – 3,500 MW, while on average some 4,600 MW were installed between 2014 and 2017. The market slump was part of the tendering system but is no longer compatible with the 65 percent target for renewable energy in electricity generation by 2030 set in the coalition agreement.
“The energy transition is not failing because of the costs, but it is being slowed down by the lack of permits. We are currently experiencing a dramatic slump here. In some cases, proceedings were not pursued vigorously because it remained unclear for too long whether permits would remain as a basis for participation in the auctions. At the same time, the processes are becoming increasingly lengthy. A good 10,000 MW of wind power is currently more or less stuck in the process. A fundamental commitment to the 65 percent target across all political levels is needed to provide new impetus. This would require, among other things, making it possible to plan the target of two percent of the state’s land area for onshore wind energy and including it in the principles of regional planning in §2 (2) No. 4 of the Spatial Planning Act,” demands Hermann Albers, President of the German Wind Energy Association (BWE).
