Page 51: of Marine Technology Magazine (November 2022)

nder the impact of global climate change, Ger- propriate date for the resurrection of the energy transition. In many wants to triple the pace of renewable en- April 2022, the cabinet passed the amendment to the Renew- ergy expansion, especially offshore wind. Skep- able Energy Sources Act. The “Easter package” had it all: by tics point to obvious hurdles such as bureaucracy, 2030, the share of renewable energies in Germany’s gross elec-

Usluggish grid expansion, fragile supply chains tricity consumption is to almost double. In this decade, 80 per- and shortages of ships and skilled workers. Another factor is cent of our electricity would be generated in a climate-friendly overlooked: digitalization. It could slow down the energy tran- way. Today it is just under 50 percent. To achieve this, Germa- sition or, on the contrary, trigger an offshore boom far beyond ny wants to triple its pace in the expansion of renewables. Es- wind power. Unnoticed by the general public, but closely pecially in solar energy and offshore wind. Currently, there are watched by American venture investors, a new generation of wind farms with a capacity of 7.7GW off the German coasts start-ups is working together with European technology com- in the North and Baltic Seas. In less than eight years, there panies on a maritime industry for the data age. Among them should be at least 30GW - 50 percent more than in earlier fed- are many pioneers from Germany. eral plans. By 2045, the federal government plans an installed

The German government could not have chosen a more ap- capacity of 70GW off our coasts - ten times more than today.

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