German wind power installation up 26 percent

By Juergen Baetz on August 01, 2012

 

BERLIN (AP) — Germany installed 26 percent more new wind-power capacity in this year's first half than a year earlier, an industry group said Wednesday — the latest sign of a lasting renewable energy boom as Europe's biggest economy phases out nuclear power.

More than 400 turbines with a combined capacity of some 1,000 megawatts — roughly equivalent to one nuclear power plant — were installed, up from about 800 megawatt in same period last year, the Wind Energy Association said.

There should be an even sharper increase over the whole of 2012, taking into account manufacturers' order books and already-planned projects, the group's head Hermann Albers told reporters in Berlin.

The wind turbines installed in the first six months brought the total capacity to over 30,000 megawatts, producing 9.2 percent of the country's electricity, up from 7.7 percent in 2011, a utility industry group said last week.

"The figures show that we are on the right track as a country regarding wind power. As the backbone of the energy switchover, it can replace nuclear power cheaply and efficiently," said Albers.