Germany's Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) announced that 9.3 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity was added in the first half of 2024, primarily driven by solar projects.
The new installations, coupled with the decommissioning of 400 megawatts (MW) of older plants, resulted in a 5.3% increase in total renewable energy output compared to the end of 2023.
BNetzA President Klaus Müller commented, “We are seeing a continuous expansion, especially in solar systems. Compared to the total output at the end of 2023, almost 10% more solar power was added. Two-thirds of this is due to building complexes, which also include the balcony systems. At the end of June, we exceeded 90 gigawatts of installed capacity for the first time. This is an enormous development and a challenge for the entire transformation process in the electricity sector.”
The agency also noted positive developments in onshore wind turbine permits, with nearly 5.6 GW of capacity approved in the first half of 2024. This marks a nearly 70% increase compared to the same period last year and is expected to surpass the total permits from 2023, which stood at 7.7 GW.
Offshore wind capacity saw a boost as well, with 377 MW of new capacity coming online in the Baltic and North Seas. However, onshore wind expansion remains subdued, with only a 1.5% increase in capacity compared to the end of 2023. This slow growth is attributed to a high number of plant decommissionings.
BNetzA reported that for every 130 new onshore wind turbines (600 MW) commissioned, 173 older turbines (230 MW) were decommissioned. New turbines thus have an average output three to four times higher than those removed, bringing the total onshore wind capacity to just under 62 GW.
