Some 1,500 wind turbines in the North and Baltic Seas will be producing electricity for consumers on the mainland by 2020.
Nico Nolte from the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) calculated that the installed capacity at the end of the decade will amount to 7000-8000 megawatts – a figure that is lower than the intended target. Nevertheless, he is optimistic for the offshore wind energy.
“Approximately 3,000 megawatts of installed power, from the already finished and ongoing projects, would be connected to the grid by the year 2015. That is about six times the current level,” Nolte told Hamburger Abendblatt.
According to his data, 33 wind farms of 2,250 megawatts (MW) have been approved. The majority of them are located in the North Sea, since its exclusive economic zone offers much more potential than that in the Baltic Sea. The implementation of all these projects corresponds to an output of 11,000 MW.
“When the second wave of offshore projects gets underway in 2015, 7,000 to 8,000 megawatts will be installed by 2020. This requires the willingness of companies to invest money and a reliable framework for the promotion of offshore wind power,” Nolte added. The original plan, however, called for 10,000 MW.
The offshore wind energy could play a significant role in the energy revolution because of its base load capacity. According to Nolte, 95 wind farm projects have been requested, which would together result in a theoretical capacity of 38,000 MW. But, it is still not certain whether this expansion would actually realize, he said.
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Offshore WIND Staff, October 7, 2013; Image: EWE