Europe added 1.1GW of offshore wind capacity in the first half of 2018, with the UK being the main contributor with 911MW, according to WindEurope’s recent report.
Besides the UK, Belgium added 175MW and Denmark 28MW of new capacity, while Germany is expected to install new offshore wind in the second half of the year.
According to WindEurope Chief Policy Officer Pierre Tardieu, Europe is too dependent on the UK, which is striding ahead in current offshore wind installations and in committing to future volumes.
On the other hand, Germany is seeing a slowdown in new installations, Tardieu said, emphasizing that other countries also need to beef up and speed up their plans.
In total, Europe welcomed 4.5GW of wind energy capacity in the first six months of 2018, which represents a decrease compared to the 6.1GW from the same period last year, but is still in line with expectations, WindEurope said.
For the whole year, 3.3GW of new offshore wind and 10.2GW of onshore wind are expected to be installed, making a total of 13.5GW.
“We are on track for a solid year in new wind farm installations but the growth is driven by just a handful of markets,” Tardieu said.
“Investments in manufacturing, skills and R&D only happen when governments give long-term visibility to the supply chain. This clarity helps them to make new investment decisions and bring down costs. Addressing these issues will be key to enable Europe to meet its target of 32% renewable energy by 2030 cost effectively.”