Europe added 6.4GW of new wind energy capacity in the first half of 2024, comprising 5.3GW onshore and 1.1GW offshore.
According to WindEurope’s Autumn Wind Energy Data, the EU-27 accounted for 5.7GW of this total, led by Germany with 1.7GW, followed by France at 1.2GW and Spain at 876MW.
Overall, Europe now has 278GW of wind power capacity, comprising 242GW onshore and 35GW offshore.
The EU-27 totals 225GW, with 205GW onshore and 20GW offshore.
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Wind turbine orders rose by 11% compared to the same period last year, with the EU seeing a 33% increase.
Despite strong auction results, with EU governments awarding 19.7GW in new capacity, investment decisions for new wind farms fell significantly, according to the report.
In the first half of 2024, final investment decisions (FIDs) amounted to €15.4 billion (£12.9bn), less than 30% of last year’s total.
Currently, four offshore FIDs have been recorded this year.
Looking ahead, trends indicate that the EU could reach 350GW of wind energy capacity by 2030, but this is below the target of 425GW.
