Germany to Add 1,610 Megawatts of Offshore Wind Power

On April 27, 2018, Germany’s Federal Network Agency announced the results of its second offshore wind power auction; the six winning bids are cumulatively capable of producing 1,610 megawatts (MW) of power. For comparison, the Alta Wind Energy Center in California, which is the largest wind farm in the United States, has an electricity generating capacity of around 1,550 MW. 

The winning companies include Baltic Eagle, Iberdrola, Ørsted, KNK Wind, and Innogy. Three of the planned projects will be located in the North Sea and three will be located in the Baltic Sea. The projects can be constructed between 2021 and 2025.

Offshore wind energy is becoming an increasingly important force in Germany’s energy market. Between 2009 and 2016, Germany’s offshore wind capacity grew from 40 MW to 4,130 MWs. Interest in offshore wind is similarly growing in the United States. New York State, for instance, has a goal of reaching 2,400 MW of offshore wind energy by 2030, and Maryland has awarded offshore and renewable energy credits to two projects totaling 368 MWs of capacity that are expected to come online in early 2020 and 2022, respectively.