Germany Wind Energy Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends and Forecast (2025 - 2030)

Germany Wind Energy Market Trends and Insights

Federal 115 GW Onshore & 30 GW Offshore Targets Drive Market Acceleration

Binding 2030 capacity goals translate into annual additions of 7.7 GW onshore and 4 GW offshore, a step-change from 2024’s 2.5 GW net onshore increase. Developers with shovel-ready projects and secured interconnection spots gain a first-mover advantage. Offshore ambitions triple present capacity, forcing unprecedented coordination between grid operators and project sponsors. TenneT’s North Sea links already move 8.03 GW, yet expansion to 70 GW by 2045 requires 35 HVDC corridors that are now entering the tender phase.^{[1]TenneT, “North Sea Grid Expansion Milestones,” tennet.eu}

Streamlined Permitting & Wind-an-Land Act Reduce Development Friction

Permitting reforms lifted 2024 approvals 85% year-on-year to 14 GW, cutting bureaucratic hurdles for small and mid-sized developers. Federal states must zone 2% of land for wind by 2027-2032, guaranteeing spatial certainty. North Rhine-Westphalia licensed 1.5 GW in Q1-2025 alone, illustrating rapid uptake. Yet average construction lead time still exceeds two years, meaning the bulk of new capacity flows into the 2026-2028 window.

Corporate PPAs & Green Hydrogen Create New Revenue Streams

Corporate PPAs rose 323% in 2023 as firms hedge power price volatility and pursue Scope 2 decarbonization. BASF’s long-term offtake from Vattenfall’s 1.6 GW Nordlicht project highlights how industrial loads anchor offshore finance. Demonstration projects such as a 10 MW offshore electrolyzer at Alpha Ventus point to integrated wind-to-hydrogen value chains that increase electricity offtake certainty for developers.

Repowering of >15-Year Turbines Amplifies Capacity Additions

Repowering contributed 37% of 2024 onshore growth as first-generation 2 MW turbines give way to 6 MW models on identical sites. Schleswig-Holstein alone has 3,190 permitted turbines totaling 8.9 GW awaiting upgrade, offering a rapid capacity lift without new land take. Streamlined repowering rules shorten timelines and improve community acceptance by replacing older, noisier models with fewer high-output units.

Grid Bottlenecks & Curtailment Risk Constrain Output Optimization

Nineteen TWh of wind power were curtailed in 2023, equal to 13% of total generation, due to limited north-to-south transmission. Federal approval of five major AC corridors will ease congestion, but completion dates after 2027 leave near-term earnings exposed. Offshore generation compounds the issue as North Sea output surges ahead of onshore grid reinforcements.

Dependency on Asian Supply Chains Creates Strategic Vulnerabilities

Nordex’s closure of its Rostock blade plant and the growing reliance on Asian rare-earth and electronics suppliers expose the German wind energy industry to geopolitical shocks. Long lead times for nacelle bearings and power converters pose schedule risks for large offshore turbines, while cybersecurity scrutiny of imported control systems adds compliance complexity.

Segment Analysis

By Location: Onshore Remains the Anchor, Offshore Is the Engine of Acceleration

Onshore assets supplied 87.35% of the German wind energy market size in 2024, yet offshore projects grow at a 21.8% CAGR through 2030. Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern host two-thirds of installed capacity, benefiting from 7-8 m/s winds at 100 m hub height and early zoning.^{[2]Clean Energy Wire, “Northern States Lead Wind Build,” cleanenergywire.org} Fixed-bottom foundations in 30–50 m depths cost EUR 1.5-2 million per turbine, well below floating alternatives, giving the German wind energy market strong cost signals to push near-shore sites first.

Offshore capacity rises from 9 GW in 2024 to 30 GW in 2030 as the German Bight and Pomeranian Bay absorb 7 GW of 2024 auction awards. Capacity factors above 50% and zero-subsidy economics improve project finance leverage ratios. Onshore growth hinges on repowering in Lower Saxony and Brandenburg, where three 2 MW turbines give way to one 6 MW unit, freeing rotor-swept area while recycling foundations. This dual-track expansion keeps the German wind energy industry resilient to site scarcity.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Turbine Capacity: Above-6 MW Class Dominates New Orders

Turbines above 6 MW held 64.80% of 2024 installations and expanded at a 13.3% CAGR to 2030, reflecting OEM roadmaps to 15 MW offshore and 7 MW onshore models. One V236-15 MW machine produces 80 GWh annually, allowing 400 MW farms to use fewer than thirty turbines and reducing foundation count by 40%, an efficiency prized across the German wind energy market.

The 3-6 MW band serves repowering sites where crane access and permitting cap turbine height. Sub-3 MW units represent less than 10% of orders and exit the market once FIT contracts expire. Modular nacelles, carbon-fiber blades, and predictive maintenance shift value from hardware to software, an evolution shaping the German wind energy industry as a technology platform.

By Application: Utility-Scale Leads, Community Projects Accelerate

Utility-scale parks above 100 MW held 70.50% of 2024 deployments and use EUR 200–300 per kW cost advantages to dominate tender rounds. Projects over 500 MW require dedicated HVDC links to bypass congested AC corridors, a bottleneck relieved once SuedLink starts service in 2028.

Community projects add 16.7% CAGR through 2030 as EEG 2023 revenue sharing pays municipalities directly. Cooperatives own up to 49% equity and distribute 4-5% annual dividends, halving permit appeals in pilot regions. C&I on-site parks remain below 5% share but grow as data centers and chemical hubs hedge volatile grid prices, diversifying the German wind energy market.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

Geography Analysis

Northern Länder house 65% of installed capacity because of strong winds and early zoning. Schleswig-Holstein ran 9 GW onshore and 3 GW offshore in 2024, generating 22 TWh, 150% of local demand. Offshore expansion grows at 21.8% CAGR as 7 GW of 2024 seabed rights concentrate in the German Bight (4 GW) and Pomeranian Bay (3 GW). TenneT plans 12 GW of offshore grid capacity by 2032, each 2 GW link costing EUR 2.5-3.0 billion, reducing curtailment across the German wind energy market.

Southern states hold only 15% of capacity yet consume 40% of electricity, causing EUR 3.2 billion redispatch in 2024.^{[3]Ministerium für Wirtschaft NRW, “Windenergieausbau Q1-2025,” wirtschaft.nrw} Bavaria’s 10H rule freezes 2-3 GW of projects while federal overrides pushed 600 MW through in 2024. SuedLink and SuedOstLink HVDC add 4 GW north-south transfer by 2030, enabling 5 GW lignite retirement and balancing the German wind energy market.

Eastern Länder are repowering hubs, with 1.5 GW of legacy turbines scheduled for 5-6 MW replacements by 2027. Existing grid connections expedite upgrades, tripling output without new land. These patterns create a polarized yet complementary geography that underpins the German wind energy market size expansion.