Germany opened its first offshore wind farm Tuesday which Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel called a key step toward more reliance on renewable energy in Europe’s biggest economy. Gabriel pressed the start button at the Hooksiel complex some 500m off Germany’s North Sea coast. The five megawatts produced at the pilot site will flow into the gas and electrical station in the coastal city of Wilhelmshaven, enough to serve 5,000 households. ‘Offshore wind power is of key importance for our future energy supply and a decisive factor in achieving our expansion goals for renewable energy,’ Gabriel said. ‘The start of operations at this pilot plant is an important step that shows we are making progress.’ The Hooksiel plant is intended as a prototype for a park with 80 turbines 100km off the coast of the North Sea island of Borkum, construction on which is to begin early next year. Britain, the Netherlands and Denmark all have offshore wind farms.