The German government plans to speed up the development of offshore wind power, dpa reported recently.Under its latest plan, Germany will have 20 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity installed by 2030, a threefold increase from its current 6.7 gigawatts.

Olaf Leeds, minister of economics, Labour and transport for lower Saxony, said the plan would be "more than a goal" and would be legally guaranteed in the short term.

It is understood that in recent years, German offshore wind power has developed rapidly, and has gradually become the pillar industry of Germany's energy transformation.Germany added 42 new offshore wind turbines in the first half of 2019, up 30 percent from the same period last year, according to official data.Meanwhile, about 1,350 offshore wind turbines in Germany have been connected to the grid so far.

Olaf Leeds also predicted that with the further expansion of the grid capacity, it is expected that the new installed capacity of German offshore wind power will continue to grow rapidly, and drive the upgrading and development of wind turbine manufacturers.

In stark contrast to the offshore boom, however, new installations of German onshore wind power are falling fast.In the first six months of this year, only 287 megawatts of new onshore wind capacity were installed, down 82 per cent from the same period last year and the lowest level in nearly 20 years, according to statistics.

At present, the German government has drawn up a timetable for the development of onshore wind power, hoping to drive the development of the industry with the help of the government.The German economy ministry said on its website: "onshore wind power will contribute to Germany's commitment to emission reduction.The development of wind power is also an important step in helping Germany reach its goal of 65 percent renewable power generation by 2030."