From the point of view of the industry, the expansion of wind energy is progressing much too sluggishly throughout Europe.

It is "always frightening to read in black and white where we stand and where we want to go - where we have to go in order to achieve the common European climate goals," said the Managing Director of the Federal Association of Offshore Wind Farm Operators (BWO), Stefan Thimm on Thursday .

“Supply risks can also be significantly reduced by using renewable energies.

Given the current political situation, we shouldn't forget that.” Given the great importance of Russian gas supplies, the escalating Ukraine crisis has sparked a debate about security of supply in the energy sector.

Thimm reacted to figures on wind power expansion in Europe, which were published in Brussels on Thursday by the European industry association WindEurope.

According to this, only 3.4 gigawatts (GW) of wind energy capacity were added at sea throughout Europe in 2021 - of which more than 2 GW in Great Britain.

“The only European countries that have installed offshore wind turbines at all, apart from Great Britain, are Denmark, the Netherlands and maybe just Norway.

Otherwise it looks bleak,” said Thimm.

In Germany, the expansion of offshore wind power came to a complete standstill for the first time in many years.

"Biggest Bottleneck: Approval Practice"

According to annual statistics from WindEurope, only 11 GW of new wind turbines were built in the entire EU last year, 81 percent of them on land.

For the period 2022 to 2026, 18 GW are planned annually.

"However, the EU needs 30 GW per year of new wind turbines to reach its renewable energy target by 2030," according to the European association.

According to his assessment, the problem is not a lack of ambition when it comes to political goals.

“The biggest bottleneck is still the approval process.

In Europe, not nearly as many new wind farms will be approved as needed.”

The reasoning of climate protection minister Robert Habeck meets the head of the association Thimm.

The Greens politician said in Berlin on Thursday, with a view to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, that the "sluggishness and laziness" with which, for example, the development of a climate-friendly energy supply in Germany was operated, would now be subjected to a "hard reality test".

"I think, but I also expect it, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that we get rid of this sleepiness now and quickly do what is necessary and has long been recognized as necessary," said Habeck.

He had already announced that the cabinet should decide on comprehensive measures for a faster expansion of green electricity from wind and sun by Easter.

Independence from as many energy sources as possible is also a security issue, said Habeck.

Germany must become less dependent on fossil fuels.