Europe plugs in 781 MW of offshore wind in H1 2014, down 25% Y/Y

Jul 14, 2014 - Europe has put online 781 MW of new offshore wind turbines during the first half of 2014, which is a 25% year-on-year decrease, the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) said today.

Most of the 224 newly-connected wind turbines are located in UK waters. The rest were installed off the coasts of Germany and Belgium.

The deputy CEO of the association, Justin Wilkes, warned that the decline in installations may continue into 2015 and 2016 despite the substantial financing activity during the first six months of the year. At present, 16 offshore wind parks are under construction to add a further 4.9 GW of capacity. Meanwhile, 310 offshore units with a combined capacity of 1,200 MW are waiting for grid connection.

Wilkes also pointed out that the wind sector must be given longer-term visibility to make sure there will be healthy growth by the end of the decade. “An ambitious deal on the 2030 Climate and Energy package by the EU’s Heads of State in October would send the right signal, making their decision particularly important for the offshore wind sector,” he noted.

Europe’s installed offshore wind capacity now stands at 7,343 MW, spread across 73 wind parks in 11 countries. These facilities are able to produce 27 TWh of power a year.

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