As of 2023,

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

had a total installed wind capacity of 255

gigawatts The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named in honor o ...

(GW). In 2017, a total of 15,680 MW of

wind power Wind power is the use of wind energy to generate useful work. Historically, wind power was used by sails, windmills and windpumps, but today it is mostly used to generate electricity. This article deals only with wind power for electricity ge ...

was installed, representing 55% of all new power capacity, and the wind power generated 336

TWh TWH or twh could refer to: * Tai Dón language, a language of Vietnam, Laos, and China * Tai Wo Hau station, Hong Kong; MTR station code * Tennessee Walking Horse, a breed of horse * Toronto Western Hospital, a hospital in Toronto, Canada * Tun ...

of electricity, enough to supply 11.6% of the EU's electricity consumption. In Q4 2023, wind power exceeded coal in European electricity generation for the first time, generating 193 TWh compared to coal's 184 TWh. Despite wind installation challenges, wind generation rose by 20% from 2022. New policies aim to further boost wind power in 2024. WindEurope (formerly known as The European Wind Energy Association) has estimated that 230 gigawatts of wind capacity will be installed in Europe by 2020, consisting of 190 GW onshore and 40 GW offshore. This would produce 14-17% of the EU's electricity, avoiding 333 million tonnes of CO₂ per year and saving Europe €28 billion a year in fuel costs. Research from a wide variety of sources in various European countries shows that support for wind power is consistently about 80 per cent among the general public. By 2020, 56% wind power penetration was achieved in Denmark, 36% in Lithuania, 35% in Ireland, 23% in Portugal, 23% in Germany, 20% in Spain, 18% in Greece, 16% in Sweden, 15% (avg) in the EU.

EU Wind Power Package

The

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...

introduced the European Wind Power Package in October 2023, which incorporates the European Wind Power Action Plan. This plan aims to streamline wind energy deployment by expediting processes such as permitting and auction design, with an emphasis on increasing investment in

offshore wind Offshore wind power or offshore wind energy is the Electricity generation, generation of electricity through wind farms in bodies of water, usually at sea. There are higher wind speeds offshore than on land, so offshore farms generate more elect ...

and ocean energies. Despite EU wind generation capacity reaching 221 GW in 2023, additional efforts are required to align with the EU's energy and climate objectives by 2030. Wind power constitutes over one-third (37%) of total renewable electricity generation in the EU and contributes to the economy, providing approximately 300,000 jobs in 2022. With the implementation of the REPowerEU targets, job growth is projected to reach 936,000 by 2030.

By country

Europe top 10 wind power capacity per capita

Denmark

In 2014 wind power in Denmark provided some 39 per cent of Danish domestic electricityRasmussen, Jesper Nørskov.
Vindmøller slog rekord i 2014

In English
. '' Energinet.dk'', 6 January 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2015. on 6 January 2015 and Denmark is a leading

nation in the world. The Danes were pioneers in developing commercial wind power during the 1970s and today almost half of the

wind turbine A wind turbine is a device that wind power, converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. , hundreds of thousands of list of most powerful wind turbines, large turbines, in installations known as wind farms, were generating over ...

s around the world are produced by Danish manufacturers such as

Vestas Vestas Wind Systems A/S is a Danish manufacturer, seller, installer, and servicer of wind turbines that was founded in 1945. The company operates manufacturing plants in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Taiwan, India, Italy, Romania, the Un ...

and

Siemens Wind Power Siemens AG ( ) is a German Multinational corporation, multinational technology Conglomerate (company), conglomerate. It is focused on Industrial control system, industrial automation, Building automation , building automation, rail transport a ...

. The Danish wind turbine industry is the world's largest and 90% of the wind turbines manufactured in Denmark are sold to international markets. In 2003, the Danish manufacturers had a total world market share of approximately 38%, generating a combined turnover of almost 3 billion Euro and maintaining over 20,000 people employed in the industry, from wind turbine factories to maintenance and research. The development of wind power in Denmark has been characterised by a close collaboration between publicly financed research and industry in key areas such as research and development, certification, testing, and the preparation of standards.

Estonia

As of 2013, the installed capacity of wind power in Estonia was 269.4 MW, while roughly 1466.5 MW worth of projects are currently being developed and three major offshore projects with total capacity of 1490 MW are being planned. Estonia, as a country, which is widely open to the sea and has a flat territory, possesses a very high potential for the development of wind energy. According to a survey carried out by the Estonian Ministry of the Environment, 95% of the respondents considered wind power as the most environmentally friendly way to produce energy.

Finland

Germany

Wind power plays an important role in Germany's renewable energy mix. In October 2014, the installed domestic capacity amounted to 35,678 megawatts, of which offshore contributed 616 MW. In 2014, wind generated more than 51 terawatt-hours of electricity and contributed about 9.7% to the nations total net-generated electricity. This is 1.3% more than the year before. December 2014 was the best month, generating 8.9 TWh and on par with record-breaking month of December 2011. Along with the generated electricity of 18.5 TWh (3.5%) from hydro, 32.8 TWh (6.2%) from solar, and 54 TWh (10.0%) from biomass, all four renewable energy sources generated 154 TWh or about 30% of the nation's total net-generation. Electricity production from combined wind and solar has now achieved almost the level of nuclear power (84.2 TWh vs. 91.8 TWh). More than 21,607 wind turbines are located in the German federal area and the country has plans to build more wind turbines. As of 2011, Germany's federal government is working on a new plan for increasing renewable energy commercialisation, with a particular focus on

offshore wind farm Offshore wind power or offshore wind energy is the generation of electricity through wind farms in bodies of water, usually at sea. There are higher wind speeds offshore than on land, so offshore farms generate more electricity per amount of ca ...

Greece

Wind power in Greece was due to expand by 352% by 2010 to meet the European target of 20% coverage of energy needs from renewable sources. Previously, there were 1,028 wind turbines installed throughout Greece and the number was set to reach 2,587 wind turbines before the end of 2010. According to the Ministry of Environment and Public Works, the system would have a

nameplate capacity Nameplate capacity, also known as the rated capacity, nominal capacity, installed capacity, maximum effect or gross capacity,MW of power from wind alone compared to 746MW at the end of 2006. Greece chose to invest primarily to wind power by 77%, while the rest of renewable sources altogether comprise the remaining 23% of production with hydroelectric power being second with 11%.

Ireland

Ireland is the best location in Europe for wind power as it is situated on the Western edge of Europe and is exposed to high winds from the Atlantic Ocean and

Irish Sea The Irish Sea is a body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel and to the Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland in the north by the North Ch ...

. Wind power

capacity factor The net capacity factor is the unitless ratio of actual electrical energy output over a given period of time to the theoretical maximum electrical energy output over that period. The theoretical maximum energy output of a given installation is def ...

s tend to be higher in Ireland than anywhere else. By the end of 2019 the installed capacity of wind power in Ireland was 4,155 megawatts, generating 36.3% of Ireland's electrical power in 2020. Most wind farms in Ireland are located in coastal regions and especially in the West of Ireland. However, the Irish Sea is getting some attention and the first offshore wind farm in Ireland is located a few kilometres north of

Arklow Arklow ( ; ; ) is a town in County Wicklow on the southeast coast of Ireland. The town is overlooked by Ballymoyle Hill. It was founded by the Vikings in the ninth century. Arklow was the site of one of the Battle of Arklow, bloodiest battles ...

and 10 km out to sea and is known as the Arklow Bank Wind Park. This is set to expand in the future. Other proposals are an offshore wind farm on the Kish Bank which is about 15 kilometers offshore from

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

, the capital city. With another planned wind farm at Clogherhead (north of

Drogheda Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...

, south of

Dundalk Dundalk ( ; ) is the county town of County Louth, Ireland. The town is situated on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the north-east coast of Ireland, and is halfway between Dublin and Belfast, close to and south of the bor ...

), to be called the Oriel Wind Farm. The Codling windfarm, planned for the south Irish Sea, will have a capacity of 1100 MW with 330 turbines, giving a huge boost to wind generated power in Ireland.

Lithuania

Wind energy is set to become Lithuania's main

electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...

source, projected to account for at least 70% by 2030, according to the

International Energy Agency The International Energy Agency (IEA) is a Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental organization, established in 1974, that provides policy recommendations, analysis and data on the global energy sector. The 31 member countries and 13 associatio ...

's (IEA) 2021 Energy Policy Review. This reflects Lithuania's strategy to be electricity self-sufficient by 2050, reducing current import needs from 70% to zero. The country encourages decentralized energy production, including

, with subsidies,

net metering Net metering (or net energy metering, NEM) is an electricity billing mechanism that allows consumers who generate some or all of their own electricity to use that electricity anytime, instead of when it is generated. This is particularly impor ...

, and virtual power plants. To handle wind energy's variability, Lithuania plans to implement

hydrogen storage Several methods exist for storing hydrogen. These include mechanical approaches such as using high pressures and low temperatures, or employing chemical compounds that release H2 upon demand. While large amounts of hydrogen are produced by variou ...

for

by 2030. Litgrid, the national grid operator, is focusing on integrating more wind and

solar power Solar power, also known as solar electricity, is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power. Solar panels use the photovoltaic effect to c ...

, essential for supporting energy generation by

prosumer A prosumer is an individual who both consumes and produces. The term is a portmanteau of the words '' producer'' and ''consumer''. Research has identified six types of prosumers: DIY prosumers, self-service prosumers, customizing prosumers, co ...

s and aligning with EU

sustainable energy Energy system, Energy is sustainability, sustainable if it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Definitions of sustainable energy usually look at its effects on the e ...

goals.

Romania

As of 2016, wind power in Romania has an installed capacity of about 3,028 MW, up from the 14 MW installed capacity in 2009. The main regions of great potential of wind are

Northern Dobruja Northern Dobruja ( or simply ; , ''Severna Dobrudzha'') is the part of Dobruja within the borders of Romania. It lies between the lower Danube, Danube River and the Black Sea, bordered in the south by Southern Dobruja, which is a part of Bulgaria. ...

and

Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially in ...

. The 600 MW Dunarea East and West wind project, located in southeastern Romania, is expected to begin operations in 2026. Its substantial size is comparable to that of the Fântânele-Cogealac wind power plant, situated nearby and recognized as the largest onshore wind facility in Europe, with a capacity of 600 MW.

Spain

In 2011, Spain was Europe's leading producer of wind energy and ranked second only behind Germany in terms of installed capacity. In 2012, domestic capacity amounted to 22,785 MW. Wind power alone covered 16.6% of the total electricity demand in Spain in 2010 (according to Red Eléctrica de España, the Spanish system operator) and continues as the third technology in the system, after nuclear power and combined cycles. Wind energy's installed capacity could meet the electricity needs of two-thirds of Spanish households. In 2010, the electricity sector reduced its CO₂ emissions by 26% thanks to wind energy. "Spain holds these positions as a result of the establishment of a stable regulatory framework, better understanding of the resource, and improved technology that have afforded considerable cost reduction in terms of initial investment, maintenance, and exploitation".

Turkey

Wind power generates about 10% of Turkey's electricity, mainly in the west in the Aegean and Marmara regions, and is gradually becoming a larger share of renewable energy in the country. , Turkey has 11

(GW) of

s. The Energy Ministry plans to have almost 30 GW by 2035.

United Kingdom

Turbine Blade Convoy Passing through Edenfield

By the beginning of March 2022, the UK had 11,091 wind turbines with a total installed capacity of over 24.6

gigawatt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named in honor ...

s (GW): 14.1GW of onshore capacity and 10.4GW of offshore capacity, the sixth largest capacity of any country in 2019. 1.8 GW of new wind power capacity was brought online during 2012, a 30% increase of the total UK installed capacity. 2012 was a significant year for the offshore wind industry with 4 large wind farms becoming operational with over 1.1 GW of generating capability coming on stream. Through the Renewables Obligation, British electricity suppliers are now required by law to provide a proportion of their sales from renewable sources such as wind power or pay a penalty fee. The supplier then receives a Renewables Obligation Certificate (ROC) for each MW·h of electricity they have purchased.Renewables Obligation
. Ofgem.gov.uk. Within the United Kingdom, wind power is the second largest source of renewable energy after

biomass Biomass is a term used in several contexts: in the context of ecology it means living organisms, and in the context of bioenergy it means matter from recently living (but now dead) organisms. In the latter context, there are variations in how ...

. Wind power is expected to continue growing in the United Kingdom for the foreseeable future – RenewableUK estimated in 2010 that more than 2,000 MW of capacity would be deployed per year for the next five years.RenewableUK 23 September 2010 Press Release
. Bwea.com. By 2020, the United Kingdom is expected to have more than 28,000 MW of wind capacity. By 2050, UK government plans to cut carbon emissions to zero by using wind power.

Europe's Wind Energy Event

In the Europe's Premier Wind Energy Event February 2013 wind was evaluated by Robert Clover from MAKE Consulting as the cheapest electricity technology after 2020 meeting 50% of electricity demand in Europe by 2050. According to Fatih Birol, Chief Economist at the

, without phasing out

fossil fuel subsidies Fossil fuel subsidies are energy subsidies on fossil fuels. Under a narrow definition, fossil fuel subsidies totalled around $1.5 trillion in 2022. Under more expansive definition, they totalled around $7 trillion. They may be tax breaks on c ...

, the EU will not reach its climate targets. The fossil fuel subsidies were half a trillion dollars in 2011. The biggest challenges of wind energy is the lack of predictability of government policies, and not the lack of predictability of wind power, according to Birol. Retroactive policy changes have also undermined investment in renewable energy projects. The European wind industry needs skilled workforce. The EU wind energy capacity in the end of 2012 was 105.6 GW. Renewable energy represented 69% of new power capacity in 2012, while fuel oil, coal and nuclear capacity saw negative growth due to decommissioning.

Public opinion

Recent public opinion surveys about wind power at both the EU and the country level shows that wind energy, being a clean and

renewable energy Renewable energy (also called green energy) is energy made from renewable resource, renewable natural resources that are replenished on a human lifetime, human timescale. The most widely used renewable energy types are solar energy, wind pow ...

source, is traditionally linked to very strong and stable levels of public support. About 80 per cent of EU citizens support wind power. Despite overwhelming popular support in the abstract, wind farm projects at times raise local opposition, especially in locations closer to populations or to woodland wildlife. For instance, a wind project in Ripfjallet, Sweden in 2020 has been opposed by a group of local residents who wish to maintain the historical landscape. They succeeded in arranging a local referendum scheduled for 22 June 2020 to determine the future of the project. In Germany, a government agency found that there were 325 active lawsuits against wind projects as of January 2020, often on the basis of protecting ecology and wildlife.

Statistics

Installed wind power capacity

Per capita capacity

Wind power today, in an average wind year, generates the equivalent of over 20% of Denmark's electricity use and 25–30% of that in three German ''Länder'', and on windy days with light loads, over 100% of the load in certain regions, particularly in West Denmark, North Germany, and northern Spain.Lovins, Amory B. (2005)
Nuclear power: economics and climate-protection potential
, see footnote 28.

Leading EU countries by wind power production

References

External links

WindEuropeEuropean Wind Energy Conference and Exhibition
* * ttp://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.2175390.0.Europes_biggest_onshore_wind_farm_plugs_into_the_national_grid.php Europe’s biggest onshore wind farm plugs into the national gridbr>Offshore wind to take EU by storm?WindEurope Annual Statistics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wind Power In The European Union