Germany adds 5.3 GW of onshore wind in 2017

Germany has a wind turbine capacity of 50,777 MW after adding 5,333 MW of onshore wind and decommissioning 467 MW of old turbines last year, according to a report by Deutsche WindGuard GmbH. In 2018, 3,500 MW of onshore wind turbines are forecast to be installed in the country, according to the Mechanical Engineering Industry Association and the German Wind Energy Association. Gross capacity additions for 2017 increased 15% on the previous year. From 2017, wind and solar projects of over 750 kW were required to compete in tenders, whereas wind was previously supported by tariffs.

Germany added 5,333 MW of new onshore wind last year and decommissioned 467 MW of old turbines, so the country’s cumulative capacity arrived at 50,777 MW.

At the end of 2017, the country had 28,675 of operational onshore turbines, of which 1,792 were put on stream in the past 12 months, a report by Deutsche WindGuard GmbH shows. The average capacity of turbines installed in 2017 was 2.976 MW.

Lower Saxony is the number-one wind state in Germany with a total capacity of 10,582 MW, followed by Schleswig-Holstein with 6,863 MW.

The gross capacity additions for 2017 were up 15% over 2016. Net additions came at 4,866 MW. The newly commissioned wind farms in 2017 included 952 MW of re-powering projects.

Deployment of wind in the country was previously supported by feed-in tariffs, but from the start of 2017 wind and solar projects bigger than 750 kW have to compete in tenders. Projects that secured approval under the old system by end-2016 have two years to be implemented, so 2017 and 2018 deployment figures include mainly transitional wind projects.

According to a forecast by the Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA) and the German Wind Energy Association (BWE), Germany will see the installation of 3,500 MW of onshore wind turbines in 2018.

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