Wind Energy Growth in Germany Rises by Nearly 50 Percent in the First Quarter of 2026 - Wind Power Generation Increases Significantly
Münster (Germany) - Wind energy growth in Germany accelerated significantly in the first three months of 2026. While newly commissioned capacity in the onshore wind sector was only slightly above the previous year’s level, the commissioning of offshore wind turbines developed much more strongly.
January to March 2026: Onshore expansion at previous year’s level, offshore wind turbine commissioning picks up again
From January to March 2026, a total of 228 wind turbines with a gross capacity of 1,532.7 MW were newly commissioned, according to a recent IWR analysis based on preliminary data from the German Federal Network Agency’s Market Master Data Register (BNetzA) (Jan–Mar 2025: 197 turbines, 1,029 MW) (as of April 17, 2026). This puts capacity additions 49 percent above the level of the same period last year.
Of this total, the majority—192 newly commissioned wind turbines with a gross capacity of 1,065 MW—were installed at onshore sites (Jan–Mar 2025: 197 turbines, 1,029 MW), while 36 turbines with 467.6 MW were commissioned offshore (Jan–Mar 2025: no new installations). Compared to the same period last year, onshore wind capacity growth increased by 3.5 percent. Following a zero-installation quarter in the previous year, offshore capacity additions have rebounded significantly.
Taking into account the decommissioning of older turbines with a capacity of 238 MW as part of repowering projects in the first three months of 2026, the net capacity addition amounts to 1,295 MW (Jan–Mar 2025: 859 MW).
Onshore wind: North Rhine-Westphalia ahead of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, and Baden-Württemberg
With gross capacity additions of 332 MW (59 turbines), North Rhine-Westphalia ranked first among Germany’s federal states in the first quarter of 2026, followed by Lower Saxony with 308 MW (55 turbines). Schleswig-Holstein ranked third with 130 MW (24 turbines), followed by Baden-Württemberg in fourth place with 78 MW (16 turbines). Brandenburg ranked fifth with 52 MW (8 turbines).
They were followed by Saxony-Anhalt (36 MW) and Hesse (34 MW) in sixth and seventh place, as well as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (34 MW), Rhineland-Palatinate (29 MW), and Saxony (24 MW). At the lower end among the non-city states were Bavaria (6 MW), as well as Thuringia and Saarland, each with no new installations. No new wind turbines were installed in the city-states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg in 2026 to date.
Offshore wind energy: Commissioning of the offshore wind farms Borkum Riffgrund 3 and He Dreiht on track
Several offshore wind farms are currently under construction in Germany. While projects such as Windanker (North Sea) and Nordseecluster A (North Sea) are still in the foundation and cabling phase, construction of the offshore wind farms Borkum Riffgrund 3 (North Sea) and EnBW He Dreiht (North Sea) is already well advanced, with a large number of turbines already in operation.
In the first three months of 2026, a total of 36 turbines with a combined capacity of 468 MW were commissioned in the Borkum Riffgrund 3 and EnBW He Dreiht wind farms, reflecting strong offshore wind buildout activity. According to current plans, both offshore wind farms are expected to be fully operational in 2026. The Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind farm, developed by Ørsted, will consist of 83 Siemens wind turbines (SG 11.0-200 DD), each with a capacity of 11 MW, reaching a total capacity of 913 MW upon completion. The EnBW He Dreiht offshore wind farm will consist of 64 Vestas turbines (V236-15MW), each with a capacity of 15 MW, for a total capacity of 960 MW.
Wind power generation in Germany rises by 27 percent in the first quarter of 2026
Electricity generation from wind power in Germany also increased significantly in the first quarter, rising by 27.4 percent year-on-year to 42.8 billion kWh (Q1 2025: 33.6 billion kWh). This is based on an evaluation of data from European transmission system operators (ENTSO-E) conducted by IWR.
Both onshore and offshore wind power generation recorded strong growth. Onshore installations increased their output by 23.1 percent to 33.1 billion kWh (Q1 2025: 26.9 billion kWh). Offshore wind energy developed even more dynamically, with electricity generation rising by 44.8 percent to 9.7 billion kWh (Q1 2025: 6.7 billion kWh).
The main drivers of this development are the strong wind energy growth in 2025, with net capacity additions of more than 5,000 MW, as well as generally more favorable wind conditions in the first quarter of 2026.
Source: IWR Online, 21 Apr 2026