Supply chain disruptions put onshore wind projects in Germany at risk

The German Association of Wind Power Plant Operators (WVW) has warned that a significant increase in the delivery times for turbines and components has put onshore wind projects at risk and called for an extension of the implementation deadline.

The delivery times for wind turbines are currently up to 15 months and for important electrical components such as transformers and substations even up to 24 months as a result of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the association said on Friday.

The implementation period specified in Germany's Renewable Energy Act (EEG) for projects awarded by the Federal Network Agency in auctions is 30 months which puts onshore wind projects in the ready-to-build phase at risk regardless of the efforts of the project developers to implement them as quickly as possible.

If a project is not implemented within the defined period, it loses the surcharge under the EEG. This would slow down the onshore wind expansion and would send a devastating signal to the market players.

The supply chain troubles are threatening even the current expansion volume of below 2 GW let alone the targeted level of around 10 GW in the coming years, according to WVW's head Lothar Schulze.

To avoid such a scenario, the association called on the German government to extend the implementation deadline to 48 months from currently 30 months.

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!