Construction of land-based wind energy in Germany slowed in the first half of this year, wind energy association BWE reported on Thursday.
A total of 250 new turbines were built with an output of 1.3 gigawatts, 19% less than in the first half of 2023, the BWE said. New permits for future construction, however, rose 32% to 847.
According to BWE President Bärbel Heidebroek, the emphasis should be on this positive development. She added that there is great potential for expansion.
Heidebroek pointed to windy conditions in April, which hampered construction by preventing cranes from being set up. There were also technical problems on the construction sites, she said.
A blockage on a main route near Cuxhaven on the North Sea coast had caused problems with the transport of rotor blades. Most blades are shipped to the city’s port for further transport by road.
Heidebroek pointed to a divide between the northern and southern states. Most of the turbines erected in the first half were built in the northern states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, while the contribution from Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria in the south was limited, she said.
The southern states, where much of Germany’s industry is located, had to catch up by issuing permits for areas where turbines could be installed, Heidebroek said.
