Wind Energy: Supporting Pillar for the Energy Mix of the Future
Author: Matthias Gaul
With ambitious expansion plans for the years ahead, wind energy is at the heart of global efforts to decarbonize and ensure security of supply on all continents. To ensure the safety and efficiency of wind turbines, providers like DEKRA are on hand with high-tech services.
Figures published in the “Global Wind Report 2025” conducted by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) in April 2025 are impressive:
According to the report, 2024 marked a record with 117 gigawatts (GW) of new wind energy capacity worldwide, with installed capacity now standing at 1,136 gigawatts. This is an increase of 11 percent compared to the previous year. The five largest markets for new installations worldwide were China, the USA, Germany, India and Brazil.
According to the GWEC, the installations planned for 2025 are expected to exceed the previous record and reach 139 GW, and a further 981 GW could be added by 2030. The GWEC expects strong momentum in the regions of South East Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East/North Africa in particular. A single expert for all areas of testing.
A single expert for all areas of testing
It is a fact that systems are becoming ever larger and more powerful, but also ever more technically complex. In addition, they have to withstand high and rapidly changing loads. This makes maximum safety during construction and operation essential. “Periodic inspections and assessments throughout the entire life cycle are indispensable,” says Philip Sulz, Head of “Renewable Energies” at DEKRA Automobil GmbH. As an approved inspection body, the expert organization supports system manufacturers and operators with relevant inspections, among other things. In case of damage, the experts also provide support with their services and expertise.
“DEKRA has been operating onshore and offshore in Germany since 2016 and is planning to expand its activities in France, Spain, Poland, Sweden, the UK, Italy and Denmark,” adds Sven Dautzenberg, Business Line Manager Wind Power and responsible for the global development of the business segment at DEKRA.
The extensive DEKRA service portfolio includes, for example, commissioning inspections, inspections of access systems or elevators, pressure accumulators, cranes, access systems, rotor blade inspections, electrical inspections, gearbox inspections, stability inspections, fire alarm and fire extinguishing systems, metrological services such as vibration measurements or lubricant analyses including filters, inspections of personal protective equipment and many more. The inspection of lightning protection systems, among other things, can now also be carried out using drone flights. Another decisive advantage for clients is that with DEKRA, they have a single point of contact for all inspection areas and project phases. As the experts usually have several authorizations, the various inspection areas can often be carried out simultaneously, which in turn results in lesser downtime and lower costs.
The largest and most powerful wind turbines at present in the world are mainly located in China and Denmark, mostly as prototypes in test centers or near the coast. The Dongfang Electric turbine in Fujian, for example, has an installed capacity of 26 megawatts (MW), followed in second place by a Siemens Gamesa turbine in Østerild with an installed capacity of 21.5 MW. A 20 MW plant from Mingyang Wind Power is already in operation, also in Fujian. According to the data analysis and consulting company GlobalData, the global capacity of renewable energies will increase from 3.42 terawatts (TW) in 2024 to 11.2 TW by 2035, with wind energy accounting for a significant proportion of this. Offshore wind power in particular, i.e. wind power generated at sea, will play a key role with an expected increase to 410 GW by 2035.
Incidentally, the world's tallest wind turbine to date is set to go into operation later this year in Lusatia, Germany. The wind turbine developed by the Gicon Group and built in Schipkau will be 300 meters high up to the center of the rotor and 365 meters high up to the tip of the rotor blade. According to the group of companies, a hub height of 300 meters allows 60 to 70 percent more energy yield to be achieved than with standard-height wind turbines, as the wind blows stronger and more consistently at greater heights. The plant should be able to supply up to 8,000 households with electricity.
All-round package with significant added value
Robert Kerstan, Technical Manager Wind Energy at DEKRA Automobil GmbH, points out another service provided by the expert organization in this context: the assessment and testing of the continued operation of onshore wind turbines. “Such turbines are generally designed for a 20-year lifespan and approved on the basis of a type test,” Robert Kerstan explains. In order to avoid having to cease operation after reaching this age, an expert opinion on the safe continued operation of the turbine is required.
DEKRA uses a practical on-site inspection and an analytical method. The practical method involves inspecting the system, analyzing weaknesses and testing all safety-relevant components. In the analytical method, DEKRA uses newly developed software to determine the remaining service life based on the system-specific calculation including the SCADA data – SCADA stands for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition – or through simulations. In addition, a turbulence model is created with the help of data evaluations in order to determine the remaining service life of the various components.
“A significant advantage for all sector coupling projects is that, in future, DEKRA will be able to test wind energy systems, solar systems, battery energy storage systems (BESS) and hydrogen generators or electrolysers all in one go,” emphasizes Falk Rosenlöcher from Technical Product Management Wind Energy Systems, Hydrogen Technology and PV Solar at DEKRA Automobil GmbH. An all-round package with significant added value that guarantees the greatest possible safety for everyone involved.
Safety and sustainability at every stage of the wind energy life cycle: find out more on
https://www.dekra.com/en/wind-energy/
or contact our experts
here.