The German Offshore-Metmasts Amrumbank West and Arkonabecken

of the raw materials for steel, copper and
aluminium since about the year 2002.
Apart from all this, entrepreneurial initiative
is discouraged by the very exacting,
tedious and expensive approval
procedure.
Nevertheless, wind energy is destined in
the long run to play a central role in the
extension of renewable energy sources.
The construction of offshore windparks not
only contributes towards protecting our
climate, it also provides innovative drive
for the economy, and in addition thereto
industrialised countries can make
themselves a bit more independent of
energy imports from politically unstable
regions. In the German part of the North
Figure 1: Offshore windpark areas in the North Sea [1]
Sea and the Baltic Sea the distance of the
planned offshore windparks from the
coastline is considerably greater than in
the case of other countries. On account of
shipping, touristic and nature reserve
interests – supported by political attitudes
– the planning corporations have sited
their parks far out (30 – 100 kilometres)
away from the coast (Figures 1 and 2
show the locations of the windpark areas
in the German North Sea and Baltic Sea).
This has the consequence that for
economically profitable operation the wind
energy plants and their foundations should
be as large as possible.