Renewable Energy - Since 2024, only one new wind turbine in Saxony - five dismantled
In Saxony, the expansion of wind energy has barely advanced this year so far. A total of approximately 6 Megawatt wind energy plant has been newly built since the beginning of the year, according to the German Wind Energy Association. At the same time, five plants with a combined capacity of the same size have been dismantled. Therefore, there was no increase in the total wind energy capacity in the Free State.
In the German-wide ranking, Saxony thus ranks 11th - only ahead of Thuringia, Berlin, Hamburg, Bremen, and the Saarland, where, according to the information, no new plants were built. North Rhine-Westphalia is the leader in the state comparison. There, 249 Mega-Watt more capacity was generated after deducting the dismantling.
Nationwide, the expansion of wind energy in the first half of the year in Germany came to a slight standstill. According to the information, 250 new wind turbines were built with a total capacity of around 1.3 Gigawatt - that was 19% less than in the previous year's period. The number of wind turbines that have been approved but not yet realized, however, rose by 32% to 847.
Bärbel Heidebroek, President of the German Wind Energy Association, emphasizes that there is a lot of potential for expansion. She referred to the declining construction activity in the first half of the year by stating that there were strong winds in April, which made it impossible to erect cranes and caused technical problems on construction sites.
Additionally, there were problems with the transport of rotor blades due to a blockade on the Autobahn A27 in Cuxhaven. Most rotor blades for wind turbines come through this harbor and are then transported to the inland.
In contrast, Bremen has seen significant progress in wind energy development. The city has added over 20 Megawatt of new capacity this year, moving it up several spots in the national ranking.
Meanwhile, Dresden in Saxony is also investing in renewable energy, with plans to construct a new windmill farm that could add up to 50 Megawatt of capacity.
Furthermore, the Federal Association Wind Energy has highlighted the potential for wind energy growth in regions like Saarland, where existing infrastructure and suitable wind conditions could facilitate the construction of new wind farms.
In Berlin, the government has announced plans to double its current wind energy capacity by 2030, as part of its commitment to achieving climate neutrality.
Hamburg, on the other hand, has long been a leader in wind energy, and its current capacity of over 2.5 Gigawatt continues to make it one of Germany's wind energy champions.
Lastly, the wind energy sector in Germany as a whole is optimistic about the future, with growing interest from investors and the promise of technological advancements that could further increase efficiency and lower costs.
