EU brings online 17 GW of new wind energy capacity in 2023

The EU installed a record-high 17 GW of new wind energy capacity in 2023, yet this remains considerably below the capacity needed to achieve the 2030 target, industry association WindEurope said today.

The total amount, which is about one gigawatt more than last year, includes 14 GW of onshore and 3 GW offshore wind turbines.

The top performer among the member states was Germany, followed by the Netherlands and Sweden. Most of the new offshore wind capacity came from Dutch projects, including the 1.5-GW Hollandse Kust Zuid, currently the biggest wind farm in the world.

Wind power made up 19% of the electricity produced in the EU last year. Next came hydropower with 13%, followed by solar and biomass contributing 8% and 3%, respectively. Overall, renewables amounted to 44% of generated electricity in the Bloc.

Despite the record-breaking figures, the achievement is way below the new 2030 climate and energy security targets aiming at 30 GW of new wind annually by the end of this decade. In a push to accelerate the deployment of new capacities, the EU presented last year the Wind Power Package, setting out 15 immediate actions to support the wind power industry.

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