European Union Added Less Than 50% Wind Energy Targets in 2021: WindEurope Report

A new report published by WindEurope has revealed that the European Union has not been able to install the targeted wind energy capacity in 2021. According to the report, the European Union – which is a union of 27 countries – had installed a mere 11 GW which is even less than half of what the EU should install every year to meet its 2030 climate targets.

The report says that overall wind capacity installation in Europe in 2021 has been 17GW. The EU is required to add 32GW of RE each year so that it can reach the target of meeting 40 per cent of its energy from renewables. For this, WindEurope says, the EU will need to add just 18GW of new wind energy farms in the coming four years.

Among the key players in Europe, the report finds only Spain and Italy to have produced more wind power than in previous years. But the capacity additions were found to be modest.

The report offers a complete analysis of the onshore and offshore wind installations done in the European Union and entire Europe in 2021. It also offers forecasts or possible future trajectory of wind installation from 2022 to 2026.

WindEurope says that if the governments do not deliver on their commitments with regards to the wind capacity and stay restrictive about their wind farm plans, then a mere 89GW of wind capacity will be installed between 2022 and 2026. For the EU to meet its 2030 wind energy targets, the report says that governments must expedite wind projects’ authorisation.

The report says that possible addition of wind power in the coming four years will be of 116GW in entire Europe. WindEurope says that three fourth of the total wind energy will be installed onshore and a mere one fourth will be offshores.

The WindPower report says that Europe installed 81 per cent of its wind turbines onshore in 2021. Sweden and Germany installed the highest numbers of onshore turbines. The total wind power capacity in Europe stands at 236 GW.