BERLIN, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) — Germany witnessed a substantial boost in the expansion of onshore wind energy in 2023, with approximately 50 percent more turbines installed compared to the previous year, as per an industry analysis released on Tuesday.
According to data from the German Wind Energy Association (BWE) and VDMA Power Systems, a total of 745 newly-installed turbines with a combined capacity of 3,567 megawatts (MW) were added. Additionally, projects with a capacity of around 7,500 MW received approval.
Dennis Rendschmidt, Managing Director of VDMA Power Systems, acknowledged the positive upward trend but expressed concerns about aligning ambitious political goals with reality. Germany aims to achieve an 80 percent share of renewable energies in gross electricity consumption by 2030, with onshore wind turbines playing a crucial role in this endeavor. The government had declared that an increase of 10 gigawatts per year would be necessary to meet these targets.
Wind energy already holds a significant position in Germany, contributing 24.4 percent of total electricity generation in the third quarter, according to preliminary figures from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).
However, bureaucratic hurdles and a shortage of building land provided by federal states have impeded faster expansion. Rendschmidt emphasized the need to address implementation issues at the federal state level to overcome these obstacles.
The German government’s efforts to consolidate its 2024 budget, affected by the failed reallocation of COVID-19 relief funds for climate measures, have led to a temporary hold on planned funding for the wind power industry. Despite these challenges, the industry’s expansion signals a positive trajectory, albeit with hurdles that need to be addressed to align with Germany’s ambitious renewable energy targets.