The German government wants to build up to 30 offshore windfarms in a bid to meet its renewable energy targets, Transport Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee said in an interview published Sunday.

Tiefensee envisions Germany having up to 25,000 MW worth of wind power being fed into the national grid by 2030. In particular large scale offshore wind farms like those in Denmark are favored. The first of these will be built off the Island of Borkum this year still. Tiefensee sees these as becoming more and more viable with the rising oil price and notes that there has been a sharp rise of applications for permits to construct them.

The wind parks will be located outside of the 12 mile zone in water depth of between 30 to 40 meters. Each of the wind parks will cost almost 1.5 billion dollars to build with additional funding having to be provided for the up to 100 kilometers of undersea cables. Tiefensee who is a member of the SPD sees energy priority as a critical strategic point for Germany, in addition to his parties goal of getting out of nuclear power as fast as possible. The 2000 wind turbines which would be needed for his ambitious goals are certainly a challenge which the wind turbine manufactures would have to rise to.