The offshore wind projects, which range in size from 250MW to 690MW, will commence operations no later than the end of 2019.
About 17 wind farms will be built in the North Sea and three in the Baltic Sea, with a combined investment of €29.3bn ($31.2bn).
The EU aid will be granted to wind farm operators in the form of a premium payment in addition to the market price for electricity under the German support scheme for renewable energy Erneuerbare Energien Gesetz (EEG Act) 2014.
The offshore wind facilities will generate 28TWh of renewable electricity annually, accounting to almost 13% of Germany’s 2020 renewable energy goal given in the National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP).
Following assessments under Guidelines on State aid for environmental protection and energy, the EU determined that the projects will contribute to reaching the country’s 2020 renewable energy targets without distorting competition in the single market.
The commission also said that the projects will allow new electricity providers to enter the German generation market, providing a positive effect on competition.
Image: Germany to build 20 offshore wind farms. Photo: courtesy of xedos4/Freedigitalphotos.net.
