Boost in Offshore Wind Power: Germany Steps Up its Game
Enhancement of wind park power by approximately 20% observed - Projected Expansion: Wind Energy Capacity Set to Boost by 20%
Germany is beefing up its offshore wind power game with a projected surge of 20% by the year's end. The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) in Hamburg anticipates that wind farms in the German North and Baltic Seas will reach a capacity of 10.4 gigawatts within the German exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Currently, the power capacity in the EEZ is 8.6 gigawatts, with an additional 0.6 gigawatts in the coastal sea. To put it plainly, that's a lot of juice from whirling wind turbines!
In line with its ambitions, Germany intends to have at least 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030, as prescribed by the Wind Energy at Sea Act.
The BSH's analysis is part of a 15-year offshore wind energy balance sheet. To break it down, these wind farms are essentially massive wind generators that create electrical energy.
Germany takes the third spot worldwide in terms of offshore wind capacity, according to BSH. President Helge Heegewaldt touts this as a "success story," featuring over 1,500 wind turbines.
The BSH compares Germany's prowess to figures from the international industry organization Global Wind Energy Council. Headquartered in Lisbon, the organization declares that Germany possesses 11% of the worldwide offshore wind energy capacity. The UK holds a 19% share, while China protects a massive 50% of the capacity.
Nine converter platforms are presently in operation within the German EEZ, with three more under construction. These expensive installations are situated near wind farms, converting the alternating current produced into direct current to minimize energy loss during transportation.
Nearly 70% of the planned power cables have been laid, connecting the wind farms to the converter platforms and land. As of now, the planned cables—boasting a combined length of over 2,700 kilometers—aim to link all of those spinny wind turbines to the grid.
- electricity generation
- offshore wind farms
- renewable energy
- wind energy
- Hamburg
- BSH
- Baltic Sea
- Germany
- forecast
- Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency
- gigawatt
- Economic Exclusive Zone
- converter platform
- European energy transition
- The forecast by the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) in Hamburg suggests that offshore wind farms in the German North and Baltic Seas will contribute significantly to electricity generation, reaching a capacity of 10.4 gigawatts within the country's Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ) by the end of the year.
- The BSH's analysis is part of a 15-year offshore wind energy balance sheet, highlighting Germany's commitment to renewable energy and its role in the European energy transition.
- Nine converter platforms are currently in operation within the German EEZ, with three more under construction. These energy-converting installations near offshore wind farms play a crucial role in minimizing energy loss during the transportation of renewable energy generated from these farms.
