Brussels, 19/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - 2011 was a stable year for the offshore wind industry, with a total power capacity of 866 megawatts (MW) - slightly up on the 883 MW of new offshore wind capacity connected in 2010, the 584 MW in 2009 and the 327 MW in 2008 - and 235 new turbines in nine different wind farms, worth approximately €2.4 billion, according to statistics published this week by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA). At the end of 2011, across the EU a total of 1,371 offshore turbines had been grid connected, with a total power capacity of 3,813 MW, from 53 wind farms in ten European countries. Nine offshore wind farms are currently under construction and will bring online an additional 2,375 MW - increasing the EU's total installed offshore wind power capacity by 62%. EWEA's target for installed EU offshore wind power capacity by 2020 is 40,000 MW, producing approximately 4% of the EU's total electricity consumption. The majority (87%) of all newly installed and grid connected offshore wind power in 2011 was in British waters mainly by Siemens, which supplied 80% of the MW installed offshore last year, while SSE and RWE Innogy were the most active developers and DONG Energy continued to be the most active equity player in offshore wind power. (EH/transl.fl)