In 2024, electricity generation from renewable energies fed into the electricity grids in Schleswig-Holstein continued to rise and reached another all-time high of 27.3 terawatt hours (TWh). This means that electricity generation from renewable energies has more than doubled within 10 years. At the same time, the curtailment of onshore renewable energy plants in Schleswig-Holstein continued to fall in 2024 - to around a quarter compared to the peak in 2019. These are the key findings of the latest report on electricity grid congestion management in Schleswig-Holstein. Energy transition Minister Tobias Goldschmidt presented this report today at the 7th Infrastructure Forum Energieküste and the energy transition trade fair StromVernetzt in Heide.
'Schleswig-Holstein is therefore well on the way to not only achieving our expansion target of at least 45 TWh of electricity generation from renewable energies on land by 2030. But also to use this green electricity more and more in Schleswig-Holstein and to transport it to the major centres of consumption in Germany," said Goldschmidt. By 2030, electricity consumption is expected to double from its current level of around 15 TWh, which is due to sector coupling as part of the energy transition - i.e. the heating transition, electromobility and hydrogen production. This means that Schleswig-Holstein will continue to produce more electricity from renewable energies than it consumes in the future - and provide this for the whole of Germany via the electricity highways currently under construction. ‘Green energy from Schleswig-Holstein will continue to drive our regional economy, increase energy supply security and strengthen the protection of our natural resources nationwide as an export hit,’ says Goldschmidt.
The curtailed electricity generation from onshore renewable energy systems (onshore wind, photovoltaics and biogas) in Schleswig-Holstein fell further to 828 gigawatt hours (GWh) in 2024 as a whole. This is around a quarter of the 2019 figure of around 3,350 GWh. The curtailments of offshore wind rose sharply in 2023 due to bottlenecks in the extra-high voltage grid, but were already declining again in 2024. However, the causes of these curtailments are generally not in Schleswig-Holstein, but are mainly due to grid bottlenecks south of the Elbe. Construction is currently underway on the central north-south lines such as SuedLink, which will eliminate these grid bottlenecks.
Energy transition Minister Goldschmidt: ‘The figures for 2024 once again clearly show that the north is leading the way in the expansion of renewables and the electricity grids. Here on the Energieküste, the entire region is meeting today to discuss the rapid expansion of energy lines in the North Sea and on the Energieküste, flexible consumption options and the right market framework. Thanks to good planning, close cooperation with the stakeholders involved and political determination, we are moving very quickly in Schleswig-Holstein in terms of grid expansion. The new federal government should continue to drive forward the expansion of the energy grid with the same determination.’
The Heide region is at the very forefront of the energy transition. The HeideHub will be a major hub for wind power generated in the North Sea and the districts of the Energieküste, which will be transported via the planned converters, switching stations and substations both via the electricity transmission grid and via powerful new direct current underground cable connections such as NordOstLink and Corridor B for consumption in the conurbations in the centre, west and south of Germany.
Dr Benjamin Merkt, Chief Technology Officer at HanseWerk AG, the parent company of SH Netz: 'As SH Netz, we have invested well over a billion euros in the expansion and conversion of the energy grids over the last five years, in particular to connect renewable energies and make the electricity grid fit for the energy transition. In the same period, onshore curtailments in Schleswig-Holstein have fallen by around 75 per cent. This shows that the efforts of SH Netz, Tennet and the state government have paid off.’
Thorsten Dietz, TenneT Director Grid Expansion, emphasised: 'Strong grids are the backbone of the energy transition. Grid expansion can only succeed if politicians, authorities and companies work together. This year in Schleswig-Holstein - as in previous years - we have underpinned this successful cooperation with important projects: the Krempermarsch phase shifter is in operation, and construction has started on the Audorf grid booster and the Hardebek substation. With these projects, we are stabilising the transmission grid and creating more transport capacity for renewable energies. A good example of how the energy transition can succeed by working together.’
Thorben Schütt, District Administrator of Dithmarschen: 'We in Dithmarschen and on the Energieküste want to continue to play a pioneering role in the energy transition. For this to succeed, the framework conditions must be right. Grid expansion in particular must follow swiftly. Dithmarschen and the entire Energieküste region have the best prerequisites for sustainable, future-proof value creation and thus for contributing to the economic stabilisation of Germany - now we need clear priorities, stable framework conditions and a strong infrastructure so that this potential of the west coast can be exploited.'
Background
The Infrastructure Forum Energieküste conference in Heide is taking place today for the seventh time at one of the energy transition hotspots on Schleswig-Holstein's Energieküste - this time in Heide. For the first time, the StromVernetzt energy transition trade fair organised by transmission system operator TenneT TSO GmbH is being held at the same time. Around 200 stakeholders from local authorities, business, science and politics will discuss the further development of the energy transition infrastructure in the Heide region and the districts of the Energieküste. At the StromVernetzt energy transition trade fair organised by transmission system operator TenneT, the audience was able to find out from the experts about onshore and offshore grid expansion, the construction of substations and converter stations, the possibility of industrial connections to substations, land development in the region and soil protection issues, among other things.
About the Infrastructure Forum Energieküste
The Infrastructure Forum Energieküste is a joint event format organised by the Energy Transition Ministry of Schleswig-Holstein and Energieküste.
The Energieküste is a project of the West Coast Regional Co-operation, an association of the districts of Dithmarschen, North Friesland, Steinburg and Pinneberg, the business development organisations egw:Wirtschaftsförderung, WEP, WFG North Friesland as well as the Flensburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the Kiel Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
The grid bottleneck report is available online as a short report and as a background report at https://schleswig-holstein.de/engpassmanagement.
Figures on the record expansion of renewables in 2024 can be found here.
About the exhibitors at the StromVernetzt energy transition trade fair
• TenneT TSO GmbH
• Schleswig-Holstein Netz AGStromVernetzt
• Amprion GmbH
• 50Hertz Transmission GmbH
• Industrie- und Handelskammer Schleswig-Holstein
• Landeskoordinierungsstelle Wasserstoff Schleswig-Holstein
• Energieküste Schleswig-Holstein
• EE.SH Netzwerkagentur
• Verband der Wirtschaftsförderungen Schleswig-Holstein
• Clean Energy Valley Schleswig-Holstein
Download
> Press release 7th Infrastructure Forum Energieküste (currently only in german)
