Europe connects to grid 348 MW of offshore wind capacity in H1 2011

Jul 27, 2011 - In the first half of 2011, the UK, Germany and Norway connected to the grid 348 MW of offshore wind power capacity or a total of 101 offshore wind turbines, the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) said today.

Newly-connected capacity for the period was up 4.5% on a year earlier. The average size of the installed offshore wind turbines was 3.4 MW, compared to an average of 2.9 MW in the first half of 2010.

Currently, Europe is building 11 offshore wind power facilities with a combined capacity of 2,844 MW. Together, the projects are worth around EUR 8.5 billion (USD 12.3bn), EWEA said. At the same time, a number of projects in Germany and the UK are expected to reach financial close this year. Financing for the sector in 2011 is estimated at above EUR 3 billion.

At the end of June, there were 1,247 grid-connected offshore wind turbines in Europe with a total capacity of 3,294 MW. These turbines are part of 49 wind power facilities in nine countries.

(EUR 1 = USD 1.452)

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