Only few German wind turbines profitable after end of 20-year support payments
Operating wind turbines in Germany will only be profitable for a small fraction of the installations once their 20-year support period via the Renewable Energy Act (EEG) has ended, consultancy Energy Brainpool says in a white paper. The first turbines in Germany will lose eligibility for support from the renewables surcharge that customers pay with their power bill in 2021 and 鈥渁t the current [wholesale power] price level, only a few installations can be operated at a profit鈥 after that due to maintenance costs, the consultancy says. Energy Brainpool uses two different scenarios with varying CO2 price levels, which is expected to rise over the course of the coming decade. 鈥淵ield rates are too low to operate the bulk of installations at a profit,鈥 the consultancy says, but adds that 鈥渁 continued operation can become economically viable quickly鈥 by the middle of the 2020s if the prices for electricity and carbon emissions rise accordingly.
Find a blog entry on the white paper in German and the white paper in German .
For background, see the 威力彩玩法 dossier Onshore wind power in Germany and the 威力彩玩法 article Booming German wind power sector fears 2019 cliff.