01/08/2024
Source: Energy & Management Powernews
The Federal Network Agency has calculated figures for the expansion of renewable energy plants in 2023. According to the figures, installed capacity increased by 17,000 MW, which is 12 percent more than in 2022.
In 2023, the addition of renewable energy plants brought Germany's total capacity to 170,000 MW. This was reported by the Federal Network Agency in an initial overview on January 5. According to the report, installed capacity increased by 17,000 MW in 2023, which is 12% more than in 2022. Solar and wind energy sources are the main contributors to this development.
"We have taken a big step forward, especially in the expansion of photovoltaic systems," summarized the President of the agency, Klaus Müller. The capacity added in this area has almost doubled compared to the previous year. "In onshore wind, we are not yet where we want to be," he qualified at the same time. However, he is optimistic that significantly more permits will be issued in 2023. "This will pay off in the form of rising expansion figures," said Müller.
Solar energy
At 14,100 MW, the expansion of solar capacity almost doubled in 2023 compared to the previous year. According to the agency, this was due to numerous private installations. There was also an increase in the expansion of solar installations on commercial rooftops and open spaces. Bavaria installed the most solar capacity in 2023 with 3,500 MW. At the end of 2023, the total installed capacity in Germany amounted to 81,700 MW. According to the Federal Network Agency, this means that 19,000 MW would have to be added annually in the future in order to achieve the German government's expansion target of 215,000 MW for solar in 2030.
A large proportion of privately operated building systems include storage. In 2023, this was the case for around 70 percent of solar installations. In 2023, the Federal Network Agency registered around 260,000 systems in the market master data register as so-called balcony systems (plug-in photovoltaic systems). This is three times as many as in the previous year. The boom in balcony systems accounted for 1.5 percent of total new solar installations in Germany, with an output of 200 MW. The authority assumes that the number of these systems is even higher, as it is likely that not all balcony systems are registered.
Onshore wind power
At 2,900 MW, the wind capacity added in 2023 is above the previous year's level. The decommissioned turbines were deducted from the added capacity. The total installed capacity at the end of 2023 is therefore 60,900 MW. Installed capacity is set to increase to 115,000 MW by 2030. In order to achieve this target, 7,700 MW would have to be added in Germany every year, i.e. significantly more.
In 2023, most of the new wind turbines went into operation in Schleswig-Holstein with 1,100 MW. In the southern German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, on the other hand, the combined figure was only around 80 MW. In 2023, 80 percent more permits were issued for onshore wind turbines than in the previous year. These were issued for around 8,000 MW and are expected to be realized in the coming years.
Wind power at sea
In 2023, a wind farm with 27 wind turbines went into operation. This is the "Arcadis Ost I" wind farm in the Baltic Sea with a capacity of 300 MW. This means that roughly the same amount of wind power was added at sea in 2023 as in the previous year. A total capacity of 8,500 MW has been installed in the Baltic and North Seas. This figure is set to rise to 30,000 MW by 2030.
Biomass energy
The addition of biomass plants doubled in 2023 to 120 MW compared to the previous year, albeit at a low level. Three newly commissioned combined heat and power plants, which generate useful heat as well as electricity, account for the largest share of this. This means that a total of around 9,000 MW of biomass capacity is in operation.
The Federal Network Agency calculated the data for 2023 as a whole on the basis of registrations in the market master data register. They were estimated for the month of December. A final analysis of the expansion figures will be published at the end of January 2024, the agency announced.
The market master data register is a comprehensive official register at the Federal Network Agency for all electricity-generating plants in Germany. All grid-connected power generation systems and battery storage systems must be registered in it. This includes all systems with a few exceptions.
The Market Master Data Register (MaStR) is available on the Internet.
Author: Susanne Harmsen
Accessibility
Language
