Germany Adds More Than Double Offshore Wind Capacity in 2024 Compared to Previous Year

January 9, 2025, by Adnan Memija

Germany’s renewable energy capacity grew by nearly 20 GW in 2024, reaching almost 190 GW, with solar and wind energy accounting for the majority of the increase, according to initial data from the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA).

In 2024, a total of 0.7 GW of offshore wind capacity was brought online, more than doubling the amount added in the previous year, said the agency.

Germany currently has 9.2 GW of offshore wind capacity operational in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, according to BNetzA.

Between May 2024 and September 2024, 73 new offshore wind turbines went into operation. This includes the Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea and the Gode Wind project in the North Sea.

Baltic Eagle, developed by a joint venture between Iberdrola and Masdar, features 50 Vestas V174-9.5 MW wind turbines installed on monopile foundations. Once operational, the wind farm is expected to supply around 475,000 households with renewable energy while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 800,000 tonnes per year.

All Baltic Eagle Wind Turbines Stand Complete Offshore Germany

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When it comes to Gode Wind 3, the offshore wind farm comprises 23 Siemens Gamesa SG 11.0-200 DD turbines. The project is owned by Ørsted and Nuveen Infrastructure.

In terms of solar capacity, the increase was slightly higher than in the previous year, at 16.2 GW. Two-thirds of these new systems were installed on rooftops or building facades, with the rest on larger areas. At the end of 2024, the total installed solar capacity was 99.3 GW.

The growth of onshore wind capacity last year slowed down compared to the previous year, with only 2.5 GW of new turbines being added.

Regarding biomass systems, it remained steady at 110 MW, according to the agency. A total of around 9 GW of biomass output is in operation, said BNetzA.

It is also worth noting that wind accounted for the largest share of total generation among all energy sources, with 25.7 TWh from offshore wind (2023: 23.5 TWh) and 111.9 TWh from onshore wind (2023: 118.8 TWh), BNetzA added.

“Renewable energies are now taking over the main role in electricity generation in Germany – measured against total generation in Germany, 254.9 TWh, or almost 60 percent came from renewable energy sources. At the same time, we have used less coal to generate electricity than we have for decades,” said Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.