The “Alpha Ventus” offshore wind farm was once considered a flagship project of Germany’s energy transition, a symbol of technological progress and a green future. Twelve wind turbines in the open sea were meant to prove that wind power, climate protection, and electricity generation are possible even under extreme conditions. Today, fifteen years after its launch, this once-celebrated showcase project is facing decommissioning – and reveals the downsides of this energy policy strategy. (haz: 24.10.25)
Expensive prestige project with limited benefits
In 2010, “Alpha Ventus” went online after approximately one and a half years of construction. The prestige project, financed by EWE, RWE, and Vattenfall, cost around 250 million euros – largely thanks to government subsidies. During its operational life, the wind farm generated approximately 3.2 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity. Compared to Germany’s total electricity consumption of more than 6,000 TWh in the same period, this amounts to just 0.05 percent. A sobering result for a project that was intended to be a symbol of climate protection and the energy transition.
Including construction, maintenance, and decommissioning, the total costs amount to an estimated 458 million euros. This results in an electricity price of approximately 14.3 cents per kilowatt-hour – without grid expansion and storage solutions. This flagship project thus refutes the often-repeated myth of “cheap wind power.”
Subsidies and the Reality of Wind Power
The prestige project only existed thanks to high feed-in tariffs under the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG). Without government support, operation would not have been economically viable. After the subsidies ended, a deficit remained. Experts now describe the wind farm as “unprofitable.”
The harsh conditions at sea – wind, saltwater, and material wear and tear – massively increased operating costs. Expert reports show that the actual construction costs exceeded the budget by approximately 30 percent. This showcase project for offshore wind power clearly demonstrates that technical feasibility and economic profitability rarely go hand in hand.
Decommissioning under Environmental Regulations
The operating company, DOTI, plans to completely dismantle the twelve wind turbines between 2027 and 2028. This is estimated to cost around 16 million euros. The decommissioning of the flagship project must be approved by the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH). Since marine organisms have settled around the foundations, particular attention is being paid to climate protection and the preservation of marine habitats.
At the same time, the logistical effort remains enormous: specialized vessels, transport capacities, and recycling facilities are scarce. Every delay increases costs. Even at the end of the project, it is clear that offshore technology remains financially demanding.
A Warning Regarding the Energy Transition
Even though “Alpha Ventus” is considered a flagship project technologically, it clearly illustrates the limitations of Germany’s energy transition. The twelve wind turbines provided valuable technical insights, but not a sustainable business model. Wind power, often lauded as the backbone of climate protection, remains expensive, intermittent, and dependent on subsidies.
New offshore wind farms are more efficient, but the fundamental problem remains: electricity generation from wind is not capable of providing baseload power. As long as no economical storage solutions exist, backup power plants must step in – and their operation incurs additional costs.
Symbol of an Expensive Experiment
According to the German government, 70 gigawatts of offshore capacity are to be achieved by 2045; currently, it stands at around 9.2 gigawatts. The decommissioning of “Alpha Ventus” shows how far ambition and reality diverge. The prestige project, once celebrated as a beacon of the energy transition, ends as a symbol of inefficient planning and exaggerated expectations.
The bottom line is clear: 250 million euros in construction costs, 16 million euros for decommissioning, 15 years of operation – and a share of only 0.05 percent of total electricity consumption. Thus, the supposedly “green” electricity turns out to be very expensive. The prestige project, a showcase for early offshore wind power, therefore remains less a success story for wind power and more a cautionary tale about the economic realities behind ecological visions.