Wind power plants in Europe produced 241 TWh of electricity between 1 January and 30 June, covering 17% of the continent's electricity demand, according to a new report by WindEurope, an organisation representing the European wind energy sector, published on Thursday 30 July.
In addition, despite the difficulties experienced by the wind industry due to the Covid-19 pandemic (slowdowns and temporary closures of European plants; disruptions in the production of components and the import of sub-components from Asia), 5.1 GW were installed during this period, of which 3.9 GW onshore and 1.2 GW offshore.
These results are very close to the average of the previous three years (3.7 GW for offshore wind and 1.5 GW for onshore wind), notes WindEurope.
In addition, despite the gloomy economic climate, a record amount of 14.3 billion euros was raised for the financing of new wind farms.
According to the organisation, this demonstrates that the wind sector is resilient and “uniquely positioned to contribute to a future-proof economic recovery under the €750bn EU recovery plan”.
Nevertheless, it considers that it is now unlikely that its initial 2020 forecast in terms of new installations will be met, even though the second half of the year is generally marked by an increase in the number of installations.
While it expected an additional capacity of 17.7 GW, WindEurope expects the number of installations to be around 20% lower.
To consult the report: https://bit.ly/339E9OT (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)