10/02/2021 (Agence Europe) – In 2020, European countries invested a record €26.3 billion to fund the construction of 7.1 GW of new offshore wind power capacity, according to the latest data published on 8 February by WindEurope, an organisation that represents the European wind energy sector. Giles Dickson, the CEO of WindEurope, called the money “a huge vote of confidence in offshore wind”, and predicted that the 77,000 people working in offshore wind in Europe today will rise to 200,000 by 2030. The organisation now has 116 offshore wind farms in 12 European countries. WindEurope notes that, although 40% of the current capacity is in the UK, new operators are coming onto the scene, including France, Poland, Greece and the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania). The organisation points out that, in addition, despite Covid-19, European countries installed 2.9 GW of new offshore wind power capacity in 2020, a figure that is consistent with its expectations. (DG)