Germany vows to make offshore wind the ‘main pillar’ of its energy transition

Germany has become the latest country to vow to make offshore wind its dominant source of energy in the years ahead.

The ruling coalition under Angela Merkel yesterday agreed a new target to ensure the nation has 20 GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030 and 40 GW by 2040, by which time offshore wind will be Germany’s “main pillar” of energy, a government spokesperson said.

Germany currently has about 7.75 GW of installed wind power, according to the latest data by federal grid regulator Bnetza.

The news from Germany follows a slew of similarly bullish offshore wind annoucements across Europe lately.

Last month, for example, UK prime minister Boris Johnson detailed plans to ensure offshore wind farms will generate enough electricity to power every home in the UK within a decade.

Research published last week by RenewableUK, an energy trade association, shows that the total pipeline of global offshore wind projects has grown by 47% since January – despite the pandemic – making the sector the fastest growing one across all energy segments.