Germany’s position as the world wind leader was consolidated today with an announcement of 40 offshore wind farms to be built in German waters more than 12 miles off the coast.
The goal is to get a total of 25,000 megawatts just from ocean-sited wind power by 2030. This would provide the first half of that; from a 12,000 MW wind farm.
Germany is only just starting to dip its toes into off-shore wind production. It signed its first offshore wind project of just 15 megawatts a few months ago with the Alpha Ventus project that was co-financed by German energy giants Vattenfall, E.on and EWE and subsidized by the German government.
The same financing consortium of the three energy giants; Vattenfall, E.on and EWE is financing the 40 farms; working closely with the government. Germany has set aside about 100 square kilometres for offshore wind projects; in order to advance renewable power.
The nation already leads the world in wind power with 22,000 Megawatts-worth, on-shore till now. The similarly sized would-be “nation” of Texas, in America, comes a distant next with 8,000 megawatts of wind power.
Thirty of these forty new wind farms would be in the North Sea with ten in the Baltic Sea. Twenty-two have already received government approval.
The 40 farms would supply 12,000 megawatts of power. Enough to supply 12 million households, which sounds great, till you realize that there are well over 82 million people in Germany – comprising perhaps 30 million households. Currently Germany provides only 3% of its own hefty power needs from its current 22,000 megawatts of land-based wind.
These 12,000 additional megawatts will get Germany well on its way to meeting its overall renewable energy goals under the Kyoto accords set decades ago and modified over time under European Cap and Trade legislation. To meet those goals it must get 30% and possibly now 36% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020 with wind energy providing probably half of that.
Related stories:
- 4 Reasons Why Germany is a Renewable Energy Success Story
- Which states Get the Most Renewable Energy and How They Made it Happen
- 42% of Electricity Added in 2008 Was Wind Power
Image: advertisement from Zeekracht seen at Inhabitat covering news of a similar venture in the Netherlands
Via the UK Standard
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