The German wind industry is looking optimistically to the future in view of the record number of project approvals and the "traffic light" reforms of recent years.

In 2024, onshore projects with 2,405 wind turbines and 14 gigawatts of power were approved by the authorities, as the German Wind Energy Association (BWE) announced on Wednesday. In 2024, 1890 wind turbines with a capacity of 11 gigawatts were approved for construction. This will be reflected in construction in the next few years: in 2025, new wind turbines with a capacity of 4.8 to 5.3 gigawatts are expected. In 2024, it was only 3.25 gigawatts and thus less than predicted by the association. In total, almost 29,000 wind turbines are now in operation on land, with a capacity of around 63.5 gigawatts. The industry assumes that the government's target can now be achieved in the next few years.

Germany wants to cover around 80 percent of its electricity consumption from renewable energies by 2030. Wind energy is the most important source of this. Operators can participate in tenders with approved projects. The projects with the lowest subsidies required are awarded a contract by the Federal Network Agency and can be built.

"The record number of awards and new permits illustrates the effectiveness of the reforms of recent years," said BWE President Bärbel Heidebroeck, referring to the numerous simplifications for the industry, which have cleared the backlog of permits. "Wind energy is thus further expanding its leading role as the most important energy source in the German electricity mix."

Dennis Rendschmidt, managing director of the VDMA Power Systems manufacturing association, also spoke of a new dynamic in the market. "This is an important step in the right direction. The new federal government must succeed in maintaining this momentum."

Solar energy has already experienced a boom in the past two years, with around 17 gigawatts installed in 2024. As a result, renewables already covered more than half of the electricity consumption.

Wind energy has so far lagged behind due to lengthy approval processes and resistance from citizens' initiatives. According to government planning, 84 gigawatts are to be installed by 2026. This is now within reach, given the approvals and awards.

(Report by: Markus Wacket; Edited by Scot W. Stevenson; If you have any questions, please contact our editorial team at berlin.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for politics and economics) or frankfurt.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for companies and markets).)