Germany leads the way for new wind turbines in Europe

28.02.2025

Source: E & M powernews

According to Wind Europe, 16,400 MW of wind power capacity was added in Europe in 2024, 13,000 MW of which was in the EU. Despite this, the EU targets will not be met, criticizes the wind association.

The industry association Wind Europe presented the expansion figures for Europe in 2024 on February 27. According to the figures, a total capacity of 16,400 MW was newly installed, 84 percent of which was onshore. The EU countries accounted for 13,000 MW of this. Europe now has a total of 285,000 MW of wind power capacity.

The association warned that the expansion was less than half of what the EU needs to achieve its energy security targets. The main reasons for the slowdown in expansion are sluggish approval procedures, insufficient grid expansion and slow electrification. Restrictions on port capacity and the availability of ships are hindering the expansion of offshore wind power.

Germany led the way in Europe with over 4,000 MW of newly installed wind power capacity. Other countries with more than 1,000 MW of new capacity were the UK, France, Finland, Turkey, Spain and Sweden. The share of wind energy in Europe's electricity consumption was 20 percent in 2024, in Denmark even 56 percent. Germany, the UK and the Netherlands also sourced at least a quarter of their electricity from wind.

Expansion expected to double by 2030

Wind Europe expects an additional capacity of 186,000 MW in Europe between 2025 and 2030, which would mean a doubling of the annual expansion of wind power, 139,000 MW of which would be in the EU. Two thirds would probably be installed on land. This means that wind could supply the majority of the clean electricity needed to implement the EU's Clean Industrial Deal. Nevertheless, the association warns that many projects could be delayed if approval processes are not accelerated and electricity grids are not expanded quickly.

According to the CEO of Wind Europe, Giles Dickson, wind energy in Europe is not growing fast enough. "Every wind turbine built in Europe helps to reduce electricity prices for businesses and households," he said. Although the EU has introduced new approval rules, many countries are not yet applying them consistently. Germany is an exception here: last year, seven times as many onshore wind power projects were approved as five years ago. The association is calling on other countries to follow suit.

Clean Industrial Deal requires a lot of renewable electricity

Parallel to the Wind Europe report, the European Commission presented the Clean Industrial Deal. This underlines the importance of electrification for Europe's competitiveness. Over the last ten years, the EU's electrification rate has stagnated at less than 25 percent, while China has been able to extend its lead.

Some industrial sectors in Europe are expecting a sharp rise in electricity demand by 2040. The chemical industry, for example, expects an increase from 195 billion kWh in 2030 to 290 billion kWh in 2040, the cement industry from 32 to 76 billion kWh and the aluminum industry from 70 to 100 billion kWh. Due to its scalability and high capacity factors, Wind Europe sees wind energy as a key element in meeting this demand.

The association argues that 1,000 MW of wind power generates twice as much electricity as the same capacity of PV. A continuous expansion of 30,000 MW of wind power per year in the 2030s could almost quadruple wind power generation in the EU by 2040 and supply 1,830 billion kWh. The European wind power supply chain is also growing. The sector is currently investing more than EUR 10 billion in the construction of new factories for rotor blades, towers, cables and offshore substations, reports Wind Europe.

Nordex back in profit

At the same time, wind turbine manufacturer Nordex from Hamburg and Rostock is back in the black following a loss in the previous year. According to the report, sales rose by 12.5 percent year-on-year to EUR 7.3 billion. Nordex earned EUR 296 million before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA). According to Nordex, profit amounted to nine million euros after a loss of 303 million euros in the previous year.

The entire report on European wind power development in 2024 is available for download as a PDF.

Author: Susanne Harmsen