Europe wind installations grow despite onshore fall

EUROPE: Developers added 12.8GW of new wind capacity in 2015, a 6.3% increase on 2014 thanks to a doubling of offshore additions and despite a 7% fall in onshore installations.

by David Weston 9 February 2016

EWEA's report shows the increasing yearly totals of new wind capacity for onshore and offshore

Around 9.7GW was added onshore — down from 10.6GW in 2014, and more than 3GW was installed offshore — up from 1.5GW in 2015. Wind now provides Europe with 11.4% of its electricity, according to the latest figures from the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA).

More than 44% of new power generation installed in Europe was in the form of wind projects, according to the trade body's .

Renewables overall accounted for 77% of new power capacity added last year.

Germany was the leading wind market, adding almost half the total (6GW), with neighbouring Poland  the second largest installer (1.3GW).

EWEA said the large amount added in Germany was down to a delay in offshore connections left from 2014, a strong policy framework and the rush before the move to a market-based system due to begin in 2017.

France (1.1GW), the UK (975MW) and Sweden (615MW) also performed strongly in 2015.