Booming German wind power seen shifting offshore
Date: 15-Mar-02
Country: GERMANY
Author: Claire-Louise Isted
Germany leads the global wind energy sector, accounting last year for 8,750 megawatts (MW) of the total world installed capacity of 24,000 MW.
But while its onshore wind energy capacity is expected to rise by over 30 percent this year to 11,500 MW, thanks largely to the incentive of a so-called feed-in surcharge producers can add to the power they generate, the rate of new build will fall by 16 percent.
"Last year was very successful, mainly because of the feed-in (surcharge), but now it is a question of available space, which makes offshore development increasingly important," Federal Wind Energy Association (BWE) President Peter Ahmels said.
"But depending on new sites, onshore wind energy could grow to 20,000 MW by 2010."
Germany introduced its renewable energy law in early 2000 to encourage investment in the new energy sector. It allows producers of such electricity to charge suppliers more for the power they input into the grid than the conventional power price.
The German government wants offshore wind energy to reach 25,000 MW from the current zero capacity by 2030, accounting for 15 percent of the country's electricity production. Onshore wind energy has to cover 10 percent of the power mix by then.
But offshore wind energy technology is hampered by a lack of effective anti-corrosion material and the fact that cables running further than 60 kilometres (37 miles) from the shore would need to have more expensive higher direct current voltage levels.
Germany's first offshore project is due to start at the end of 2003, 45 km off the North Sea German island of Borkum.
Leer-based Prokon Nord Energiesystems GmbH plans to build 12 wind turbines with a total capacity of 60 MW in a first stage, then 200 units with a total of 1,000 MW by 2010.
GERMANY SHOULD TAKE INITIATIVE
"Germany should take the first mover advantage in offshore wind energy that it had in the onshore sector," Ahmels said, adding that Denmark had recently cut plans to build a 750 MW offshore park by 2010 to 300 MW. German offshore wind energy producers will be able to add the same 9 euro cents/kilowatt hour (kWh) feed-in surcharge that onshore producers enjoy.
But Ahmels said the government should extend the deadline on new build for offshore turbines by four years to 2010 to encourage the sector's growth.
Germany supports the use of green energy, such as hydro, wind, solar and biomass, as part of its target to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 25 percent on 1990 levels by 2005.
Wind energy accounts for 40 percent of German renewable electricity production or 3.5 percent of the country's power mix, which Ahmels said should increase to 25 percent by 2030.
Hydro covers 4.7 percent of German electricity production, but its potential is limited, he added, to another 3,000 MW of capacity by 2010.
Ahmels said wind energy annually saves 11 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, equivalent to 1.6 kilograms (3.527 lb) of CO2 per kilowatt hour, adding that could rise to 25 million tonnes a year in 2005.
Investment in German wind energy has risen 30 percent in 10 years to 1.7 million marks/MW or a total of 3.5 billion euros in 2001, while production costs have halved to 8-11 euro cents/kWh.
