In its annual statistical report, WindEurope revealed on Wednesday 28 February that the EU is well on the way to achieving its wind energy targets for 2030, thanks to improved authorisations and increased investment, but that efforts are needed to speed up the development of onshore and offshore electricity grids.
In 2023, the EU installed a record 16.2 GW of new wind power capacity, with onshore wind predominating (79%). Germany installed the most new capacity, followed by the Netherlands and Sweden.
Wind energy accounted for 19% of the EU’s total electricity consumption in 2023, with renewable energies in total accounting for 42% of the electricity mix.
The WindEurope report also includes projections for the coming years. It forecasts an average annual installation of 29 GW between 2024 and 2030. This will bring the EU’s wind energy capacity to 393 GW by 2030, compared with the 425 GW needed to meet the EU’s climate and energy objectives.
WindEurope particularly welcomes the increase in investment in 2022 and the improvement in permitting in 2023 (see EUROPE 13347/6), as well as the impetus provided by the European Commission’s Wind Power Package (see EUROPE 13278/5) and the signing of the European Wind Charter in December 2023 (see EUROPE 13318/10).
However, grid expansion remains a major challenge, with delays in grid connections compromising the timely commissioning of new wind farms.
“In Germany authorities recently announced that up to 6 GW of offshore wind capacity are affected by grid connection delays. The affected wind farms will now come online with a delay of up to two years”, WindEurope stated in a press release.
The association is therefore calling for urgent action to speed up the development of the network and invest in ports and transport infrastructure.
To see the report: https://aeur.eu/f/b1v (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)