Germany has pledged to expand its offshore wind target for 2030 from 15 GW to 20 GW.
The country’s federal government, coastal states and transmission system operators have signed a joint agreement to increase wind energy development in the North and Baltic Seas.
Under the agreement, the parties will work together on the planning and regulatory steps required to achieve the expansion.
Germany’s Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) will continue to update the area development plan by the end of the year and identify the areas required for 20 GW of wind energy at sea, it said. The coastal states have pledged to complete the approval process in a timely manner, while the transmission system operators will put the offshore connection lines into operation in good time.
The project timelines will be checked regularly so that delays are identified at an early stage and appropriate measures are taken quickly, BSH said.
The offshore agreement was signed as a requirement from the government’s 2030 climate package aimed at boosting the offshore capacity additions goal.
At end-2019, Germany had 7.5 GW of offshore wind turbines feeding power into the grid.