German wind power output rose to a new annual record in 2018, up 5.4% or 5.7 TWh year on year at 111.4 TWh, TSO data aggregated by think tank Fraunhofer ISE show.
December output was 14.8 TWh, up 46% on November and just marginally below an all-time high set in December 2017, with output averaging 20 GW for a second December in a row, the data show.
Over the course of the year, output averaged 12.7 GW, with July lowest at 6.1 GW.
Wind is now Germany's second-biggest source of electricity after lignite coal, covering 19% of national power demand in 2018, BDEW estimates show.
Total installed wind power capacity is seen near 60 GW by end-2018 with onshore wind adding less than 3 GW in 2018 and approximately 1 GW new offshore wind capacity coming online in 2018.
Sluggish permitting rates and the switch to competitive auctions are behind a sharp slowdown in annual additions after almost 20 GW were added since 2014.
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New onshore wind project approvals have slowed to a trickle and approving some 10 GW stuck in the permitting process would be key to growth and successful auctions in 2019, lobby group BWE said.
The group is forecasting annual growth to fall to just 2 GW this year and next.
For 2019, Germany plans onshore wind tenders with a total 3.7 GW on offer across six auctions starting February and maximum bids capped at Eur62/MWh.
