For Europe to Meet Offshore Wind Targets, $7,9B in Port Investments Needed, Report Says
Some €6.5 billion (around $7,9 billion) in port infrastructure investments will be necessary for Europe to reach its 2030 offshore wind objectives, according to WindEurope.WindEuope, which says that ports are key to offshore wind development, has called for the European Commission to develop a Ports Strategy "and recognize the societal and ecological value of ports.""To deliver the offshore wind expansion set out in the EU’s Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy, Europe’s ports must expand and add new infrastructure," WindEurope said Thursday."Ports are central to offshore wind.
EU Eyes Huge Hike in Offshore Wind Capacity to Meet Climate Goals
The European Union is considering a plan to increase its offshore wind energy capacity five-fold this decade and 25-fold by 2050, as it seeks to become climate neutral by mid-century, according to a draft policy.The 27-nation EU, which is already home to 42% of the world's offshore wind capacity, says the technology now produces clean power at a lower price than any fossil fuel-based source.A draft of the European Commission's strategy for offshore renewable energy, seen by Reuters and due to be published on Nov.
EU Targets 450 GW Offshore Wind by 2050
The EU Commission’s big goals for offshore wind – between 230 and 450 GW by 2050 – are achievable provided the right investments in electricity grids and Governments take the right approach to maritime spatial planning, said a report.According to the WindEurope report examines where 450 GW of offshore wind could be deployed most cost-effectively around Europe, bearing in mind there is only 20 GW today. 450 GW of offshore wind is part of a European Commission scenario to deliver climate neutrality by 2050.The report is a remit from the Energy Ministers of the 10 ‘North Seas’ countries who coordinate their work on offshore wind with each other and the Commission.The report concludes that 212 GW should be deployed in the North Sea…
Europe's Wind Industry Needs More Sea Space
The European offshore wind industry needs an area equivalent to the size of Ireland to install enough turbines to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, a target for most EU members, a leading industry group said in a report.Fighting climate change is a top priority for the European Commission's new head Ursula von der Leyen, who has set out a "European Green Deal" intended to achieve "climate neutrality" - adding no greenhouse gases to the atmosphere beyond what can be absorbed - by 2050."Today we have 20 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind in Europe and the European Commission…
Prince Frederik to Address WindEurope Event
Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark will deliver the opening address at the WindEurope Offshore 2019, which is claimed to be the world’s largest event dedicated to offshore wind.The event, which will take place in Copenhagen from 26 to 28 November, will gather 9,000 participants and more than 400 exhibitors as the industry gears up to help deliver Europe’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.After Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark the Prime Minister of Denmark on 26, November, Mette Frederiksen, will address the event. Then Energy Minsters from around Europe and offshore wind industry leaders will complete the opening session.Denmark has been at the forefront of wind energy development with the world’s first ever offshore wind farm – Vindeby – in 1991.
UK to Account for 35% Offshore Wind in Europe
The UK will account for 35% of the growth in offshore wind over the next five years, followed by the Netherlands and Germany, said , according to WindEurope’s new ‘Wind Energy Outlook to 2023’.In the next five years 22 GW of wind energy capacity will reach the end of its normal operational life (20 years). Most of this will get a lifetime extension. Around 2 GW will be repowered.And another 2 GW will be fully decommissioned. Government policy and regulation is still not as supportive of repowering as it should be, it said."If Governments end up producing clear and ambitious National Energy & Climate Plans (NECPs) and they improve the permitting arrangements for wind farms and they keep investing in new grid capacity, then Europe’s wind energy capacity would grow by 88 GW to 277 GW by 2023.
Europe Invests $30bln in Wind in 2018
Europe invested a total of EUR27bn (USD 30.34bln) in new wind farms in 2018, allowing it finance a record amount of new wind energy capacity, according to European trade body WindEurope.Europe invested EUR 10.3 billion in new offshore wind farms with a combined capacity of 4.2GW in 2018.Investments in new offshore wind projects increased by 37% from 2017 but were still some way off the record EUR 18.2 billion seen in 2016, according to the report. The capacity financed in 2018 is also the second highest after 2016.The total amount invested in wind power is similar to previous years. But thanks to cost reduction, especially in offshore wind, it will finance a record 16.7 GW of new wind capacity.
Vattenfall's Groebler Named WindEurope Chair
Gunnar Groebler, Senior Vice President, Business Area Wind at Vattenfall, has been named chairman of WindEurope’s board of directors.Groebler will replace RES CEO Ivor Catto and will serve an 18-month term. Nordex’s Tony Adams becomes the association’s new vice chair.Groebler, a mechanical engineer by background who has been with the Swedish utility since 1999, said: “We’re at an exciting time for wind energy. The technology continues to evolve and with it costs are coming down. Wind is an increasingly affordable source of power for people and businesses.”"The next challenge that we face as an industry is to continue ramping up scale as Europe phases out fossil fuels and electrifies its economy.
Wind Provides 14% of European Electricity
Wind energy provided 14% of the European Union’s electricity last year, according to figures published by the region’s wind energy trade body, WindEurope, with 11.7 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity added, including 2.65 GW of offshore wind. Continued growth in capacity and the use of more powerful turbines are helping to drive up wind’s share in the electricity mix. Denmark had the highest share of wind in its electricity last year (41%) followed by Ireland (28%) and Portugal (24%). Wind was 21% of Germany’s electricity.Wind accounted for 49% of all the new power generation capacity in Europe in 2018. But the amount of new wind capacity was down a third on 2017 (a record year).
Europe Offshore Wind Capacity Up 18% in 2018
Europe installed a total of 2.6 gigawatts (GW) of new offshore wind capacity in 2018, an 18% increase which takes the region to a total capacity of 18.5 GW.According to new figures published this week by the region’s wind energy trade body, WindEurope, 15 new offshore wind farms came on line. The UK and Germany accounted for 85% of the new capacity: 1.3 GW and 969 MW respectively.Europe now has 105 offshore wind farms across 11 countries with a total capacity of 18.5 GW. This is around 10% of the total installed wind energy capacity in Europe – the rest is onshore.The size and scale of offshore wind continues to rise. The average size of the new turbines installed last year was 6.8 MW, 15% up on 2017.
Wind to be EU's Largest Power Source in Ten Years
Wind power is set overtake coal, nuclear and gas to become the EU’s largest power source well before 2030. This is according to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) 2018 World Energy Outlook.According to the IEA’s projections, wind energy will become the EU’s largest power source in 2027, overtaking coal, nuclear and then gas in the process. This is compared to the IEA’s last projection made in its 2017 World Energy Outlook, where it said this would happen “soon after 2030”.According to the IEA, wind electricity generation in the EU will more than triple to 1,100 TWh by 2040, pointed out WindEurope, association based in Brussels,…
German Wind Auction Undersubscribed
The German Federal Network Agency (BnetzA) has announced the outcome of the latest German onshore wind auction. It revealed that the country's last wind tender of the year was undersubscribed and saw average prices rise again.A press release noted that only 363 MW of capacity won a contract, compared to the 670 MW that was on offer.According to WindEurope, over 900 MW of projects were pre-approved for the auction and had a permit. But only a third of these actually bid. The problem was many of them face legal challenges to their permit and wanted to avoid being exposed to penalties for non-delivery, WindEurope said in a press release.The German Government changed the design of their onshore wind auctions this year, so that projects now need their permit in order to bid.
EU Offshore Wind to Grow up to 2020
New capacity more than doubled in 2015 due backlog; existing projects to bring more expansion in coming years. Growth in new offshore wind capacity in Europe is to slow this year after more than doubling in 2015, an industry report said on Tuesday. "New capacity additions will be lower in 2016 than 2015 though should then rebound, and we can expect to have (an installed total) over 20 GW (20,000 MW) offshore wind by 2020," said the chief executive officer of the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), Giles Dickson. The report for 2015 showed that new capacity linked to onshore grids totalled 3,019 megawatts (MW) last year after 1,483 MW in 2014. This was mostly due to a strong backlog of network connections in Germany in that particular year, EWEA said.
