In Germany, wind power already accounts for about 4% of the electricity we consume and is the leading source of renewables-based energy alongside hydropower. This is a first step, but it is not enough to secure energy supplies in the future.

However, it is difficult to achieve further growth onshore, since we have almost run out of windy areas. If we can hardly add any more wind turbines on land, why not move out into windy waters?

The Future of Wind Power is Off Our Coasts

Before Germany’s coasts, there is not only a lot of room for offshore wind farms, but also more, importantly, a lot of wind. In these areas, electricity can be generated at a more steady rate. In light of these possibilities, experts believe that, over the long term, wind power will account for a double-digit percentage of Germany’s total power production.

E.ON aims to invest in 500 MW of offshore wind power by 2011. We will take an incremental approach, conducting several pilot and demonstration projects along the German coastal lines of the North and Baltic Seas. We are testing one of the first large-scale 5 MW trial facilities in Cuxhaven. Since this system size is new, the plant will initially be located just a few meters from the coast on the mainland. In addition, we have a stake in the 60 MW Borkum wind farm, scheduled for construction in 2008.

This creates new logistical challenges, since the plants must be set up and run smoothly far off the coast, where the sea is up to 45 meters deep.