New wind power installations in Germany rose 60 percent in the first half

In the first half of this year, 331 onshore wind turbines with a total capacity of 1565 megawatts (MW) were installed in Germany. That is 60 percent more than in the same period last year. The figures were announced today by the German Wind Energy Association (BWE) and engineering association VDMA Power Systems, which added that much greater capacity is needed if Germany is to meet its targets for 2030.

Wind power is central to Germany’s transition to renewable energy. Berlin has set a target for at least 80 percent of electricity to come from clean sources such as solar and wind power by 2030. The development of wind power has also been supported by the decline in imports of fossil fuels from Russia.

According to the report, the sharp increase in new capacity was driven by government measures to support construction and speed up permitting. If this trend continues, the upper end of the forecast issued in January—an increase of 2700 to 3200 MW in wind power capacity this year—will be reached, BWE president Bärbel Heidebroek said.