Europe needs 30 GW of wind power per year to meet its climate goals.

WindEurope, the European Wind Energy Association, highlights the need to increase investment in this type of energy to achieve the objectives of the Green Deal

The annual installation of wind energy in Europe does not appear to be sufficient, according to WindEurope, the European Wind Energy Association, which estimates that the old continent must install 30 GW per year to meet the objectives set in the recently approved Green Deal. This agreement seeks to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.

And, according to the wind power installation figures for 2019, Europe reached 15.4 GW of this type of energy, of which 11.8 GW came from land-based installations and 3.6 GW from marine installations, also known as offshore. These new investments in renewable wind energy set the continent’s wind power capacity at 205 GW, a figure that covers 15% of European citizens’ energy demand.

This industry, which, according to WindEurope, generates 300,000 jobs in the common territory, has had a special role through significant investments in the United Kingdom (with 2.4 GW installed between offshore and onshore wind), Spain (reaching 2.3 GW installed in onshore wind), Sweden (reaching 1.6 GW exclusively in wind offshore) and France (exceeds 1.3 GW in offshore wind). Thus, the installations in 2019 were 27% higher than those that took place in 2018, although they are far from the 30 GW that the continent requires if it wants to reach the target set in the Green Deal.

Giles Dickson, CEO of the association, highlights that “the European Union is not building enough wind farms to meet the target set for 2050, in which this energy must be 50% of that generated in Europe.” Dickson also calls for the planned investments to be undertaken, as climate neutrality and the Green Deal require “twice as many installations as occurred in 2019.”

Spain returns to the path of investment and Germany falls back

The association, which highlights Spain’s return to the path of investment, pointing out that “after a series of years with low investment levels, the country has marked its highest installation rate since 2009,” also urges the role of Sweden, which reached its record for wind energy investment in 2019. However, the negative note goes to Germany, which with 1.1 GW installed remains at similar figures to those recorded 19 years ago, in 2000.

What is the Green Deal?

The roadmap sets goals for achieving climate neutrality on the European continent by 2050 through the decarbonization of energy (energy production and use accounts for more than 75% of the European Union’s greenhouse gas emissions); Renovating buildings, helping to reduce their bills and energy use (40% of citizens’ energy consumption comes from buildings); helping European industry become a world leader in the so-called green economy (currently, the use of recycled materials in industry is only 12%, with industry accounting for 20% of total emissions in the EU); and the promotion of sustainable mobility through cleaner, cheaper, and healthier public and private transport systems (transport accounts for 25% of our harmful emissions into the atmosphere).