OES Annual Report 2012 - Ocean Energy Systems

60
GERMANY
Jochen Bard
Fraunhofer IWES
OCEAN ENERGY POLICY
Germany’s Federal Government committed itself to cut its greenhouse gas emission by 40 % compared
to the 1990 baseline levels by 2020, if the European Union Member States agree to a 30 % reduction of
European emissions over the same period of time. A comprehensive National “Integrated Energy and
Climate Programme” has the potential to bring Germany very close to this goal by achieving a reduction
of at least 36 % according to independent studies. Key elements of this programme are amongst others:
ÌÌ
Renewable Energy Sources Act with the goal to increase the share of renewables in the electricity sector
from the current level of at least 14% to 25-30% in 2020
ÌÌ
Amendment to the Combined Heat and Power Act with the goal to double the share of high-efficiency
Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants in electricity production by 2020 from the current level of around
12% to around 25%
ÌÌ
Renewable Energies Heat Act with the goal to increase the share of renewable energies in heat provision
to 14% by 2020
ÌÌ
Actions for grid expansion in a package of measures to improve the integration of renewables into the
grid. The Energy Grid Expansion Act includes a bundled approval procedure for undersea cables connecting
offshore wind turbines when new grid construction is undertaken. (IECP Action 2)
ÌÌ
Several actions towards energy saving in the transport and building sectors
In the context with the amendment of the Renewable Energy Sources Act, a new regulation on the
demarcation of areas for specific uses at sea within the German exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the
North and Baltic sea, in particular offshore wind energy, came into force in 2009. It reflects the government
strategy for offshore wind energy which aims for the installation of wind turbines with a combined capacity
of up to 25,000 MW by 2030. Spatial planning includes the designation of priority areas. The legal impact of
this status is that any other uses that are not compatible with the designated priority must be disallowed or
denied authorisation, thereby ring-fencing potential locations for offshore wind farms. To permit a flexible
response to research that remains to be conducted on offshore wind energy use, these demarcations will
initially only secure locations for a first tranche (with a total capacity of approx. 10,000 MW). A decision will
have to be taken in the medium term as to whether any further priority areas are to be designated and, if
so, where, on the basis of an amended or new plan, so that the government’s target of 25,000 MW can be
assigned within the appropriate corridor.
In August 2012 the German government adopted the draft for the Third Act Revising the Legislation
Governing the Energy Sector. The new legislation aims to speed up the expansion of offshore wind farms.
The major focus is on a system change towards a consistent and efficient offshore grid expansion by
introducing a binding offshore grid development plan. This will improve coordination of grid connections
and offshore wind farms. In addition, a compensation regulation for the construction and operation of grid
connections to offshore wind farms will be introduced.
Currently, there are no explicit plans to include wave energy into spatial planning but a study launched by
the National Government identified no issues in the legislation which would prevent wave energy projects
from receiving approval.
ANNUAL
REPORT 2012