Germany has announced development plans for offshore wind energy generation after 2030. The government has identified areas suitable for offshore wind installations with an estimated capacity of 60 GW. This can achieve the total target of at least 70 GW of offshore wind energy. The design also includes plans for new shipping routes and network infrastructure at sea and on land.
New area plan
The German Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) published the area plan for the development of offshore wind energy in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea on June 7. This reveals for the first time the spatial and territorial background for the further expansion of offshore wind energy to at least 70 GW wind capacity, the general objective for offshore wind energy in Germany. (View the plan here)
The draft includes specifications for the expansion of offshore wind energy to 60 GW by 2037, instead of the originally planned 40 GW for 2035.
Under the plan, around 36 GW of the planned 60 GW will be built in so-called acceleration areas, meaning that construction and operating permits for offshore wind turbines there will be relaxed.
Change of sailing routes
To achieve the increased expansion target for offshore wind energy, the use of spaces in the area of the SN10 shipping route, which centrally crosses the German exclusive economic zone (EEZ), is necessary. To this end, intensive discussions have been held with the Danish and Dutch authorities in recent years.
The German goal was to gain additional space for its own offshore expansion goals while ensuring the safety and convenience of international shipping. Germany claims that the plan has succeeded in defining additional areas for wind energy up to a volume of more than 10 GW through the new structuring of the shipping routes.
Process
The responsible public authorities have until July 8, 2024, and the public until August 8, 2024, to provide written comments on the draft FEP and environmental reports.
See also the German development plan for offshore wind energy until 2030: BSH - Flächenentwicklungsplan
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