In a further step, the federal government wants to create additional areas for the expansion of wind power on land.

The FDP-led Ministry of Transport and the Economics and Climate Protection Ministry of Department Head Robert Habeck (Greens) agreed to make technical systems for radio navigation and weather radar more compatible with wind turbines.

Among other things, they agreed to reduce the prescribed minimum distances.

In the future, significantly more wind turbines can be built in the vicinity of radar systems for air traffic control and weather forecasts.

Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) said on Tuesday in Berlin that a major issue in the expansion of wind power had been solved without impairing the functionality of systems, for example for safe navigation of aircraft.

Habeck spoke of additional wind energy potential of around 5 gigawatts.

That corresponds to more than 1000 new wind turbines.

He spoke of a “fat exclamation mark”.

For comparison: According to industry information, around 28,000 wind turbines with a total output of around 56 gigawatts were installed on the German mainland at the end of 2021.

Only on Monday did the environment and economics ministries agree on a solution for the environmentally friendly expansion of wind energy on land.

Minimum distances should decrease

Previously there had been concerns that the wind turbines could interfere with the radar signals.

Therefore, no wind turbines are currently allowed to be built in Germany within a radius of 15 kilometers around radar systems for air traffic control.

This area is now to be reduced to a radius of six to seven kilometers.

More than 15 radar systems would also be decommissioned over the years.

The minimum distances between wind turbines and a weather radar should be reduced to a radius of five kilometers.

There are no reductions in flight safety.

"With the help of the latest scientific findings, we will be able to allow smaller distances in the vicinity of around 40 rotary radio beacons, which are used for safe navigation of aircraft," said Wissing.

"The same applies to the areas around 17 weather radars, which are used, among other things, to predict heavy rain events."