• Commissioning of 409 plants with 2.2 gigawatts (GW)
• 1,276 plants with 7.8 GW capacity newly approved
• 1,238 turbines with 7.5 GW awarded – trend now stabilising
• Expansion still below EEG targets
• Federal government must maintain expansion ambitions and investment security in the supply chain
• Wind energy expansion strengthens energy security and industrial value creation
Berlin, Frankfurt – 15 July 2025 – In the first half of 2025, 409 onshore wind turbines with a cumulative capacity of 2.2 GW were commissioned in Germany – the highest number since 2017. In the same period, 7.8 GW of new wind energy capacity was approved – more than ever before in a first half-year. The positive development of commissioning and new approvals, as well as a further decline in approval times, continue last year’s trend: Compared to the same period last year, commissioning rose by 67 per cent, new approvals are 55 per cent higher than in the same period last year, and the approval period has shortened by over 20 per cent compared to 2024, averaging 18 months. These figures are the result of an evaluation by the specialist agency Wind und Solar on behalf of the German Wind Energy Association (BWE) and VDMA Power Systems.
Bärbel Heidebroek, President of the German Wind Energy Association (BWE): “Wind energy is on track – this is underlined by the strong figures for approvals and awards. In the first two rounds of tenders this year, projects with a capacity of 7.5 GW were awarded. This means that the expansion in the coming years is already set at a high level. Despite the positive developments, there is a gap between the actual expansion and the targets set out in the EEG. The EEG expansion targets will not be achievable until 2026 at the earliest. The positive trend supports the transformation of the German economy and strengthens the resilience of the electricity system – it must now be sustained. Electricity demand will continue to rise due to hydrogen, heat pumps, electric vehicles, data centres and the increasing electrification of industry, as well as an economic upturn organised by the federal government. It is therefore important to stay on course and implement the expansion targets for renewable energies.
The positive development that has been manifesting itself since 2020 is continuing. Continuity in terms of area targets, approval facilitations and financing conditions supports this development. The implementation of RED III shows that the new federal government wants to ensure stable framework conditions and has its sights set on the hundreds of thousands of employees along the entire wind energy value chain.
There is a considerable need for renewal in the grid infrastructure. In addition, investments are necessary for the energy transition. To this end, the federal government must now simplify and accelerate planning and approval procedures at all grid levels and the necessary sector coupling technologies so that investments can be prioritised. Bärbel Heidebroek: “In the coming years, it is foreseeable that a great deal of new capacity will be installed. The grid therefore urgently needs to become smarter and more flexible. We need new thinking and pragmatic solutions for greater flexibility in the grid.”
Dr Dennis Rendschmidt, Managing Director of VDMA Power Systems: “Despite the dynamic developments on the market, the wind industry is proving its ability to adapt production capacities flexibly and efficiently to rising demand. The industry is ready and able to deliver. However, in order to secure long-term investment in sustainable industrial growth, a stable and reliable political and economic framework is needed. Only then can the full potential of wind energy for the energy transition be exploited. Wind energy is an economically competitive technology that can be expanded significantly and rapidly, thus making a key contribution to a cost-efficient, sustainable and secure energy supply.
However, the encouraging development of the figures should not obscure the fact that expansion in Germany and Europe is still far below the targets necessary for the decarbonisation of the energy system. The continuous expansion of wind energy is indispensable for climate protection, industrial value creation and energy security. In order to achieve the climate and expansion targets, the level of ambition in terms of new installations must be consistently maintained. Political will is needed to continue the progress and momentum of recent years. This is our clear appeal to the new federal government.
Wind turbines are a central component of the energy system and therefore count as critical infrastructure – they are an essential factor for national security. It is therefore important that the legal framework guarantees unrestricted safety and risk prevention throughout the entire service life of these turbines – including all components along the supply chain. All companies and suppliers that provide critical equipment in Europe must ensure binding and effective safety standards. A crucial step in this direction is the effective implementation of the EU NIS 2 Directive and the EU Cyber Resilience Act.
Exploiting the potential for accelerating approvals
In order to accelerate the expansion of the allocated capacity, outstanding issues from the pact for accelerating planning and approvals, for repowering and for facilitating approvals for large and heavy transports must be implemented swiftly.
The commitments made in the coalition agreement to create an investment fund for energy infrastructure using public guarantees and private capital, and to improve fund investments in infrastructure and renewable energies, must now also be prioritised.
Forecast for Germany for the whole of 2025
For the whole of 2025, the associations forecast an expected increase of 4.8 to 5.3 GW, assuming the pace of implementation remains unchanged.
Source: BWE
