Technical questions on the expansion of offshore wind energy

Since the first German offshore wind turbine was built in 2009, the country has installed more than 1,500 turbines with a total capacity of 7.8 gigawatts. According to the German government’s plans, this capacity is to be more than tripled to at least 30 gigawatts by 2030. In light of these plans, the project will examine the potentials of wind energy in Germany’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The project will also investigate whether and how offshore wind turbines can be combined with other forms of maritime use – for example aquacultures. IKEM analyzes the legal framework for multipurpose applications with a focus on maritime spatial planning law and the German Offshore Wind Energy Act (WindSeeG). This will be used as a basis for the legal classification of three examples of multipurpose applications and the development of regulatory changes.