EU adds record 17 GW of wind power in 2023 but must double pace

The European Union saw 14 GW of onshore wind and 3 GW of offshore capacity coming online in 2023, WindEurope calculated. Still, the association said 30 GW per year must be added to meet the 2030 climate and energy security goals.

Despite inflation and high input costs, supply chain bottlenecks, slow permitting and grid limitations, wind power plant operators in the European Union put 17 GW into operation last year. It is slightly more than in 2022, marking an all-time high, WindEurope said, but with a warning that 30 GW in wind capacity needs to be added on an annual basis to achieve the 2030 targets.

The association’s Chief Executive Officer Giles Dickson told Balkan Green Energy News last week that the tide seems to be turning in many segments. Wind turbine manufacturers are beginning to return to profit, he stressed.

The actions set out in the EU Wind Power Package and European Wind Charter will help increase the buildout and strengthen the supply chain in the sector, where national implementation is key, WindEurope pointed out. Wind accounted for 19% of all electricity produced in 2023, it said.

Netherlands now hosts world’s largest wind farm

According to WindEurope’s data, 14 GW was added onshore and 3 GW offshore. Germany built the most new wind capacity, followed by the Netherlands and Sweden. The Netherlands built the most new offshore wind, including the 1.5 GW Hollandse Kust Zuid facility, now the world’s largest wind farm, the organization noted.

The International Energy Agency estimated that Europe would build 23 GW a year of new wind over 2024-2028.

Energy ministers from 26 EU member states signed the European Wind Charter last month, endorsing the Wind Power Package. Crucial actions include the further simplification of permitting, improvements in the design of the auctions to build new wind farms and public financial support for wind turbine manufacturing and key infrastructure, WindEurope underscored.

Renewables reach 44% share in electricity produced in EU

Hydropower had a 13% share in electricity output in the EU in 2023, compared to 8% for solar and 3% for biomass, the statement reads. Renewables in total amounted to 44% of electricity produced.

The amount of electricity produced per gigawatt of wind capacity continued to grow, WindEurope said. The capacity factor of new onshore wind farms now ranges from 30% to 48%, and new offshore wind is consistently 50%, it calculated.