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 Germany |
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I. National statistics
Basics
Area (km²): 356.970 Population (Mio.): 82,5 Population density: 231 National government, economy and structure of energy sources Governing parties: Social Democratic Party (41,4%) , Green Party (9,2%) GNP (Gross National Product per capita): 25.567 Euro per capita Unemployment rate (%): 12 Fossil fuels (%): 83,8 Nuclear energy (%): 12,6 Renewable energy (%): 3,6 II. National status of wind energy
Accumulated number of turbines and installed capacity:
1992: 1.211 (183) 1993: 1.797 (334) 1994: 2.617 (643) 1995: 3.655 (1.136) 1996: 4.326 (1.546) 1997: 5.193 (2.081) 1998: 6.205 (2.874) 1999: 7.879 (4.444) 2000: 9.359 (6.100) 2001: 11.438 (8.753) 2002: 13.759 (12.000) 2003: 15.387 (14.609) 2004: 16.543 (16.629) Description of the present status and future national energy policy in relation to wind energy (i.e. political objectives/ subsidy and investment policy/ economic effects/ technical or other limits/ public acceptance/ weak points) Primary energy consumption decreased with the beginning of the 90th. The reason for the regressive trend is the steady improvement of energy efficiency in Germany. Fossil fuels (mineral oil, coal, natural gas) still have a share of 84 percent in primary energy consumption. Nuclear energy represents almost 13 percent. The present share of 3,6 per cent contributed by renewable energy sources is just small. According to the national aims the rate of renewable energy is to be increased up to 4,2 per cent till 2010 and 50 percent till 2050. Especially the "Renewable Energies Act" stimulates the desired accelerated and widespread introduction of all kinds of renewable energy. By act of law local appropriate electricity suppliers and grid operators are obliged to purchase all electricity produced by renewable sources for a legally fixed price. Wind energy was the most growing sector over the last years. At present the installed capacity of more than 16,000 wind turbines can cover 4,2 per cent of the national electricity production. Meanwhile the wind energy branche has created 61.600 jobs. The export quota is about 53 per cent. The future wind energy market in Germany will consist of three segments, the development of new onshore areas, the replacement of old wind turbines and the offshore wind energy use. A medium- term prediction assumes an installed capacity of 22.600 MW onshore and 6.800 MW in the areas of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea until 2012. But, solely the offshore capacity will rise up to 20.000 - 25.000 MW until 2030. The onshore capacity is estimated at 24.000 - 28.000 MW till then. Characteristic of the most significant national wind park project: Location: Lichtenau/ Paderborn (North Rhine- Westphalia) est. in 1993 Character: people`s owned wind park Area: 380 hectares Number of turbines: 62 (typs of various manufacturers) Installed power: 36 MW Energy yield: about 65 Million kWh/ per annum Offshore activities and projects: North Sea: 27 projects (7 permitted) 23.000 MW Baltic Sea: 6 projects (1 permitted/ 2 refused) 4.000 MW Share of manufacturers (%): Enercon: 41,8 Vestas: 30,0 Repower Systems: 9,2 GE Wind Energy: 7,7 Nordex: 4,4 AN Windenergie: 4,0 III. Legal issues and national planning status related to wind energy
Relevant legal issues
1. Federal Spatial Planning Act 2. Federal Building Act 3. Federal Immission Protection Act 4. Federal Nature Conservation Act 5. Federal Environmental Risk Assessment Act 6. Regional Spatial Planning and Development Programme Description of the national wind energy planning status (i.e. national/ regional/ municipal planning conceptions/ weak points) According to the German multilevel planning system (national/ federal state/ regional/ municipal) wind energy planning is embedded into the system of state-run spatial planning. Within the German system of federalism the individual federal states have issued their own concrete priciples and regulations related to wind energy. Detailed area planning is to be executed only on regional and municipal level, but basic national and federal state objectives and principles are to be observed here. On regional level in particular the "Regional Spatial Planning and Development Programmes" generally regulate spatial coordination and concentration of wind turbines by identifying and fixing "Suitable Areas" in correlation with other spatial demands. The legal character of the "Regional Spatial Planning and Development Programmes" therefore effects the legal binding of the fixed areas. Thus wind energy utilization is in principle tolerable only on the preassigned areas. Number and extend of the areas can also be derived from aims of national or regional climat and energy policy. On municipal level the "Suitable Areas for Wind Energy" have to be integrated into the "Land Use Planning". The municipal land use planning can adapt the "Wind Energy Areas" appropriate to the specific local conditions and requirements. In this manner another fine adjustment will be enabled and specific projects can be developed and approved a lot easier than without any basic planning. In compliance with the "Federal Building Act" the regional and local planning authorities generally may refuse wind energy utilisation outside of "Suitable Areas". Some supplementary official "Planning Recommendations" considering distances to settlement areas, admissible sound and shadow immissions were issued for the more concrete project planning. The limited extend and availibility of suitable sites will slow down the previous dynamic growth of land- based turbines by now. Recently the official "Regional Planning" was extended into coastal waters and "Marine Suitable Areas for Wind Energy" were defined, so that comming offshore projects can be developed only on this planning basis. But especially environmental aspects complicate and hinder a speedy and extensive offshore wind energy utilization and therefore only some few projects have been approved in German waters so far. |
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