Schleswig-Holstein targets a major wind energy expansion by 2030
Prepare for an increase in turbines whirring between the North Sea and Baltic Sea by 2030. The black-green state government of Schleswig-Holstein is set on boosting its installed wind power capacity on land up to an impressive 15 gigawatts. "To achieve this objective, we'll need to intervene more intensively in protection issues to designate additional priority areas," said Interior Minister Sabine Sütterlin-Waack (CDU) on Tuesday.
His words followed the revelation that only two percent of the state's land is currently designated for wind turbines. However, from now on, three percent is the goal, translating into an additional 160 square kilometers. For context, that's a whopping expansion more than the city of Kiel, which at 119 square kilometers is relatively modest in size.
As of July 2023, 3,119 wind turbines on the land in the north were already spinning and generating a total of 7.9 gigawatts. An additional 369 sites have been approved and are expected to boost wind production by 1.9 gigawatts. Without a doubt, the government aims to hit the ten-gigawatt onshore wind power target a full four years early in 2025.
Powered by the black-green coalition's agreement from last year to increase land-based wind power to 15 gigawatts, five more gigawatts in capacity is as much as several nuclear power plants. Plans for new regional wind energy plans by 2027 will ensure that while distances between turbines and individual houses remain unaffected (400 meters), landscape and species protection will undergo changes.
Not surprisingly, there will also be modifications to nature conservation areas addressing the distances to forests, protecting bird breeding areas, and adjusting the protection areas around large birds breeding grounds. It's also been announced that designated wind power areas will be largely maintained, and for the first time, landscape conservation areas no longer face an absolute ban.
The updated criteria for the new wind energy plans are expected to be made public in early 2024, and existing wind turbines will soon be allowed to be replaced with more powerful ones, provided it doesn't lead to any negative impacts on public interests or spatial planning goals.
Great news for the region as around 29.8 million megawatt-hours of electricity were generated in Schleswig-Holstein in 2022, a staggering 24.2% increase from the previous year. Approximately 85% of the electricity consumption in the state was covered, with renewable energies single-handedly contributing 26 million megawatt-hours.
Insights
Schleswig-Holstein's plan to boost wind energy production involves repowering existing wind farms to more powerful and efficient turbines, developing new projects, and promoting community involvement.
Modern turbines reduce noise and visual impact, allowing for more efficient power generation with fewer turbines, minimizing the footprint on the landscape.
Regional communities benefit from direct involvement and ownership in wind farm operations, enhancing regional value creation while contributing to Germany's energy transition to renewable energies.
Additional Reading:
- CDU, as part of the black-green state government, aims to expand Schleswig-Holstein's wind energy capacity by 2030 to 15 gigawatts, a significant increase the state's current 12.5 MW wind farm.
- To achieve this goal, the Interior Minister Sabine Sütterlin-Waack (CDU) states the need to intervene more strongly in protection issues to designate additional priority areas.
- The CDU and Greens coalition in Schleswig-Holstein, with a shared goal to expand wind energy, aims to produce 10 gigawatts of onshore wind power, believing that climate protection and nature conservation go hand in hand.
- The expansion of wind energy is seen as crucial for Schleswig-Holstein, with the Interior Minister Tobias Goldschmidt (Greens) asserting that renewable energies are in the overriding public interest.
- The black-green coalition in Schleswig-Holstein is looking to integrate local communities, focus on repowering existing wind farms, and promote energy efficiency while considering aesthetic and environmental concerns.
