European Offshore Wind Strong in 2013...but Slowing

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) - Offshore wind capacity in Europe grew by more than a third in 2013 but a closer look at the figures reveals that there was a marked slowdown in the second half of the year.

There were 418 offshore turbines installed in 2013, adding a record 1,567 megawatts (MW) of new capacity -- up 34% on 2012 -- according to the latest figures from European Wind Energy Association (EWEA).

The turbines were installed and fully grid connected in 13 windfarms worth between €4.6 billion and €6.4 billion between January 1 and December 31 2013. In total, 522 turbines were erected during 2013, an average of 4.3 MW per day. More than 100 of those turbines are awaiting grid connection.

However, the EWEA marked a notable slowdown in the second half of last year, saying that two-thirds of the new capacity came online in the first six months. There are now 11 offshore projects under construction, down from 14 this time last year. It called for market and regulatory stability to drive forward the 22,000 MW of consented projects across Europe.

"The unclear political support for offshore wind energy - especially in key offshore wind markets like the U.K. and Germany - has led to delays to planned projects and fewer new projects being launched," argued Justin Wilkes, Deputy CEO at the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA). "This means installations are likely to plateau until 2015, followed by a decline as from 2016. An ambitious decision on a 2030 renewable energy target by the Heads of State in March would be the right signal to send to the offshore wind sector that Europe will develop its massive offshore wind potential for green growth, jobs, industrialisation, technological leadership and CO2 reductions."

The EWEA has spoken out against the European Commission's unveiling of scaled-back climate and energy targets to 2030, in particular its proposal for a non-binding renewable energy target for Member States of 27% - lower than the 30% that was widely expected. For additional information, see January 23, 2014, article - Europe Cuts Renewable Energy Goals.

There are now 2,080 offshore turbines installed and grid connected across 69 windfarms, generating a total of 6,562 MW, in 11 European countries. With regards to the technology used, 75% of substructures are monopiles, 12% gravity, jackets make up 5%, tripods 5% and tripiles 2%. Bladt was the leading substructure supplier with a 37% market share. There are also two full-scale grid-connected floating turbines and two downscaled prototypes.

On the supplier front, Siemens was the leading turbine supplier (69%). Dong Energy A/S (Fredericia, Denmark) remained the leading developer of offshore wind projects with a 48% share.

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