Germany achieved a record year for onshore wind energy in 2024, approving a total of 2,405 wind turbines with a combined capacity of 14,056 MW. According to the German Wind Energy Association (BWE), this marks an unprecedented high, with 1,890 turbines and 10,996 MW awarded through the Federal Network Agency's tenders alone.
These figures suggest significant growth for the industry in the coming years, although gross expansion in 2024, which reached 635 turbines and 3,251 MW, was slightly below the previous year's pace and fell short of the forecasted 4,000 MW. Despite this, the total installed capacity for onshore wind in Germany now stands at approximately 63,460 MW.
The results are part of an evaluation by BWE and VDMA Power Systems, which was conducted by a wind and solar specialist agency. Dennis Rendschmidt, managing director of VDMA Power Systems, commented on the progress, stating: “The significantly increased number of approvals and surcharges illustrate the recovery of the German market and signal a new dynamic for the industry. This is a significant step in the right direction.
Rendschmidt also stressed the importance of maintaining this momentum, adding: “The new federal government must manage to maintain this dynamic. Wind energy expansion must continue unabated because it secures our energy supply, reduces electricity costs and creates jobs.” He noted, however, that more work remains to close the gap between actual expansion and political goals, calling for the removal of obstacles to faster project realization.
Bärbel Heidebroek, president of BWE, highlighted the importance of recent reforms, stating: “The records for awards and new approvals illustrate the strong effectiveness of the reforms of recent years. Wind energy is thus further expanding its leading role as the most important energy source in the German electricity mix.” Heidebroek also emphasized the need to maintain high expansion levels in the upcoming legislative period and urged for quick action to prepare the energy grid for future growth.
“There is still a lot of room for improvement here. It must be possible to use the existing capacities more efficiently and, above all, more intelligently,” she added. “The possibility of simultaneously connecting wind energy, photovoltaics, and storage to individual grid connection points must now come as quickly as possible.
Looking ahead, the BWE and VDMA Power Systems forecast that Germany's onshore wind capacity could expand by 4.8 to 5.3 GW in 2024, provided the pace of implementation remains steady. This growth is expected to play a crucial role in meeting Germany's renewable energy targets and enhancing the country's energy infrastructure.
