“Too much wind can be a problem too”

The fact that offshore wind turbines produce more power than previously thought is good news in the long run but might currently rather lead to more problems, Jens Heitmann writes in an opinion piece for the Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung. “If the nuclear reactors are gone and later also the coal plants, it’s commendable for an industrialised country to have at least one reliable source of power”, Heitmann says. However, before Germany has expanded its grid capacity to transfer electricity from the windy north to industrial centres in the south, the additional load by offshore turbines that produce power almost all year round will “aggravate” the problem of clogged grids, he argues. Neighbouring countries like Denmark of Poland already have to cope with Germany’s excessive power production, which is why the European Commission ponders to split the German power market in two different price zones in the north and in the south, Heitmann says. “That’s why it would be prudent for Germany to finish its power transmission lines that run through the country before pondering the construction of new offshore wind parks in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea“, he writes.

See the CLEW dossier Onshore wind power in Germany for information.