North Sea Countries to Boost Offshore Wind
Energy Ministers from North Seas countries met yesterday (December 04) in Brussels and agreed their 2020 Work Program on offshore wind deployment as a means of reaching climate neutrality by 2050.The 10 North Seas Energy Cooperation countries – Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK – agreed at their Ministerial meeting in Esbjerg in June 2019 to broaden the scope of their cooperation. Their 2020 Work Program now elaborates what they intend to do together on maritime spatial planning…
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…
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.
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…
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.
Europe Offshore Fleet has 105 Wind Farms
There are now 189 GW of wind energy in Europe, making up 14% of the EU’s power demand. 18.5 GW of this is in Europe’s offshore fleet, whose 105 wind farms and 4,500 turbines now provide 40,000 jobs.According to WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson, this is set to grow.Offshore wind has a proven record of rejuvenating former industrial towns in Europe. Dickson gave the UK example of the Green Port in Hull, where offshore wind has brought €400m in investment and directly created 1,000 new…
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%).
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…
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…
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…
Nations, Industry Pledge EU Offshore Wind Expansion
Germany, Denmark and Belgium joined with 25 companies on Tuesday to back a pledge to increase Europe's offshore wind capacity almost fivefold in the next decade. The joint declaration, signed by energy ministers for the three countries and firms including Dong Energy and Siemens Gamesa, said the countries and companies would work together to deliver 60 gigawatts (GW), or at least 4 GW a year of offshore wind capacity in Europe in the 2020s. "With this Joint Statement, leading…
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.
EU Policy Paper Backs Help to Export Coal-Fired Power Plants
European makers of coal-fired power plants should get financial help to export the equipment, an EU policy paper seen by Reuters says, flying in the face of environmental opposition to any form of subsidy for coal. Coal is the most polluting fossil fuel, emitting around twice as much carbon dioxide as gas when used to generate power. As a result, the European Union is phasing out subsidies for domestic coal plants by 2018 in line with its efforts to take a global lead in the fight against climate change.
