Wind power in Niedersachen

Enterprise potential

Along with chances to be part of the success of existing enterprises, there are many openings for manufacturers of plant components or measurement and control technologies to enhance the available spectrum of services.

Large-scale investment has created excellent framework conditions for onshore and offshore wind farms – with strong business potential for companies seeking clients for repair and maintenance services.

Whatever your plans in the wind power sector and however you want to carry them through in Niedersachsen – we have the comprehensive information you need on the market and its stakeholders, and will be pleased to advise you on your specific prospects and practical options.

The wind in Niedersachsen's sails: great locations and enterprises

Wind power is playing a crucial role in expanding electricity supply from renewable sources, so the medium- and long-term business prospects offered by this sector are correspondingly attractive – especially in Niedersachsen: with an existing wind power capacity of around 9,000 MW on land and 3,800 MW in the North Sea, of which 1,500 come ashore in Niedersachsen, we are far and away Germany's number one wind power state.

The Niedersachsen value creation chain

Niedersachsen is Germany’s undisputed centre for the development and manufacture of powerful wind turbines. Companies already located here cover the entire value creation spectrum, from manufacturing through maintenance to efficient energy storage.

Even with this successful established infrastructure, Niedersachsen still offers glittering prospects for newcomers – for all the signs are that this sector will continue to expand; generating capacity off the coast of Niedersachsen is growing steadily, and onshore, too, plans for more turbines and upgrading existing sites are creating new challenges that demand new solutions and creative companies to deliver them. Through to 2050, installed onshore capacity is intended to reach 20,000 MW, and Niedersachsen has already set the necessary framework conditions for planning and constructing new land-based wind farms.

Thinking bigger – plans for offshore wind power

Niedersachsen's North Sea coast is the ideal location for offshore wind power enterprises, and the necessary infrastructure has been systematically established.

High expectations are based above all on the attractive full load times of offshore wind turbines: over 4,000 hours a year, more than twice as much as on land.

As a company looking to locate here, or investor, you will find solid practical prospects. Since the renewable energy statute amendments came into force in August 2014, the necessary framework conditions and investment security for further expansion of offshore wind power are guaranteed.

Wind farms approved for construction through to the end of 2017 have already activated investments of several billion € – with corresponding effects on the value chain for companies involved in opening up offshore areas.

The expansion target for wind power at sea is 15,000 MW by 2030. With its German Offshore Industry Centre at Cuxhaven, Niedersachsen offers ideal conditions for constructing offshore wind turbines right beside a navigable channel to the North Sea. High-capacity manufacturing sites, installation companies and service harbours along the Niedersachsen coast and on the Rivers Elbe, Weser and Ems complete the facilities.

Wind power research

ForWind, the Universities of Oldenburg, Hannover and Bremen’s joint centre for wind power research, brings together scientific expertise and close-to-industry research: the combined competences of three universities make ForWind an experienced and knowledgeable partner for the wind power industry.