The ongoing update of the development plan aims to identify acceleration areas that will benefit from simplified and expedited procedures under the EU Renewable Energy Directive, BSH said on Friday.
"With this draft area development plan, we are setting an accelerated expansion path up to 2035, exceeding the legal target by 10 GW. By 2037, we will reach 60 GW," said BSH President Helge Heegewaldt.
The draft outlines, for the first time, the areas needed for Germany to achieve at least 70 GW of offshore wind energy which is targeted by 2045. A crucial component is utilising areas near shipping route SN10, which crosses the German exclusive economic zone, for offshore wind energy.
"In recent years, we have worked closely with other responsible federal administration bodies and our Danish and Dutch neighbors. Our common goal was to secure additional areas for national offshore expansion targets while ensuring the safety and ease of international shipping. With the presented plan, we are able to designate additional wind energy areas of well over 10 GW by restructuring the shipping routes," Heegewaldt commented.
The proposed update also schedules the tendering and commissioning of offshore wind energy areas up to the commissioning year 2037.
Authorities can comment on the draft until July 8, 2024, and the public can comment until August 8, 2024. The process for amending and finalising the site development plan is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
