EWEA report shows Siemens leading the way on offshore wind
European Wind Energy Association says more than 1,000 megawatts of offshore wind turbine capacity were connected at sea, compared with just over 500 megawatts in the year-earlier period and Siemens have apparently contributed over 83 per cent.
The rate of offshore wind turbines being installed in Europe doubled in the first half of the year, and Siemens has been leading the way.
A European Wind Energy Association report has said that more than 1,000 megawatts of capacity of wind turbines were connected at sea, compared with just over 500 megawatts in the year-earlier period and Siemens have apparently contributed over 83 per cent.
Countries including the U.K. and Germany are relying on offshore wind to help them meet their carbon reduction and renewable energy goals. At the same time, installations risk tailing off without clearer rules and targets beyond 2020, according to the Brussels-based EWEA, which said just one new project has reached financial close in the past six months.
The sole financing, “together with a lack of orders being placed for offshore wind turbines, substructures and components, reflects the regulatory uncertainty in key offshore markets including Germany and the U.K.,” EWEA Director of Policy Justin Wilkes said in the statement. “To attract investment to the sector governments need to provide a stable regulatory framework and the EU should set a binding renewable target for 2030.”
About half of this year’s installed capacity has been in the U.K., with 513.5 megawatts, according to EWEA. Denmark connected 352.8 megawatts to the grid, Germany installed 105 megawatts, and Belgium had 73.8 megawatts.
Total offshore capacity now amounts to 6,040 megawatts across 58 wind farms in 10 European countries, according to the industry assocation. A further 21 wind farms at sea are under construction or in preparation, totaling 5,694 megawatts, it said.
