Electricity - Fewer wind turbines built in Schleswig-Holstein than in 2023
The wind energy expansion in Schleswig-Holstein decreased in the first half of 2024 compared to the previous year's period. With a capacity addition of 247 Megawatts (MW) in 49 wind farms, the northern federal state ranked third behind North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony, according to Deutsche WindGuard GmbH. In the first half of 2023, 125 wind energy plants with a total capacity of 597 MW had been built.
Subtracting the decommissioning of old plants, the north achieved a net capacity addition of 186 MW in the first half of 2024, ranking second behind North Rhine-Westphalia and ahead of Lower Saxony. Nationwide, 250 wind energy plants with a combined capacity of 1,308 MW were built in the first six months of the year. When comparing wind energy plants to conventional power plants, it is essential to consider the installed capacity, as wind energy plants generate a power output that depends on wind availability.
In terms of installed wind energy capacity per square kilometer, Schleswig-Holstein ranks first among the federal states with 552 Kilowatts, followed by Bremen with 483 Kilowatts. Berlin and Bavaria have the lowest capacity densities with less than 50 kW/km².
The managing director of the Schleswig-Holstein Renewable Energy Association, Marcus Hrach, remains optimistic about the wind energy expansion in the region. The approval figures for the first half of 2024 are on par with the previous year. "That's encouraging news that this year will also be a good approval year. This sets the stage for the build-up in the coming years and the achievement of the state's energy policy goal of 15 Gigawatts by 2030." Currently, 8,720 MW have been achieved with 3,238 plants.
The lower capacity addition in the year-over-year comparison was due to a relatively weak approval year in 2022, according to Hrach. With a construction time of 24 to 36 months, the current build-out is based on approvals from the past. Additionally, transportation issues and unfavorable weather conditions have posed challenges to the build-out.
- Despite the decrease in wind energy construction in Germany's Schleswig-Holstein in the first half of 2024, North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony still outpaced it in capacity additions.
- Germany's renewable energy sector saw the construction of 250 wind energy plants nationwide in the first half of 2024, with Schleswig-Holstein having the highest installed capacity per square kilometer among federal states.
- The approval figures for wind energy construction in Schleswig-Holstein remained the same as the previous year, providing optimism for the continued growth in wind energy expansion in the region.
- The state of North Rhine-Westphalia maintained its lead in wind energy construction in Germany, with a capacity addition of 510 MW in the first half of 2024, while Schleswig-Holstein added 247 MW.
