In the first half of 2025, 409 new onshore wind turbines were installed in Germany, adding 2.2 GW of capacity—the highest figure since 2017. At the same time, new permits were granted for 7.8 GW of wind capacity, marking a record high for a first half-year. The trend continues a positive trajectory: installations rose 67% compared to the same period in 2024, permitting volume increased by 55%, and average permitting times dropped by over 20% to 18 months.
These figures were compiled by the Fachagentur Wind und Solar on behalf of Bundesverband WindEnergie (BWE) and VDMA Power Systems.
According to the associations, permitting and auction results indicate the wind sector is moving in the right direction. In the first two auctions of the year, projects totalling 7.5 GW were awarded contracts, securing a strong pipeline. However, despite this progress, there is still a gap between actual build-out and the targets set in the Renewable Energy Act. These targets are not expected to be met before 2026.
The associations stress the need for consistency and continuation of supportive policies, including permitting reform, grid expansion and integration of technologies for sector coupling.
For the full year 2025, industry associations forecast onshore wind additions of between 4.8 and 5.3 GW if current realisation speeds are maintained.
