Germany

Germany has identified 36.5GW of offshore wind sites to help it meet its 2030 target, but can it overcome key obstacles?

This month, Germany’s Bundestag approved legislation that promises the largest expansion of renewables in the country’s history.

The new year chimes had barely finished ringing when Germany and Austria hit out at European Union plans to label nuclear and natural gas as ‘green’.

Nextwind chief investment officer Lars Meyer is discussing the “phenomenal impact” of Germany’s pioneering onshore wind investors, who were backing onshore wind farms in the early 2000s when most utilities wouldn’t touch renewables.

The year started with apocalyptic wildfires in Australia before taking us into a global pandemic, economic collapse and a disputed US presidential election. It’s time for a well-earned holiday.

The new EEG amendments are intended to help Germany increase renewable electricity capacity from 50% of total production now to 65% by 2030.

Macquarie Infrastructure & Real Assets agreed to buy Bard Offshore 1’s owner in August and won European Commission support for the deal last September. How did Bard Offshore 1 overcome its history – and where is it going from here?

On Monday, the ruling coalition of Christian Democrats and Social Democrats agreed to drop the idea of a national 1km distance rule for onshore wind.

Financing Wind Europe speaker Felix Fischer, of Chatham Partners LLP, spoke to us about prospects for renewable energy at a time of declining subsidies, as well as the future of German offshore wind.

The news that negotiations have begun ahead of the potential formation of a new German coalition could signal a favourable turn for the wind market.

Continuing our coverage of WindEurope 2017, A Word About Wind considers the impact of political uncertainty on German wind.