Europe added 2018.4 GW of wind capacity in the first half of 5

Data released by WindEurope, the European wind industry association, showed that Europe added 4.
5 GW of wind power capacity in the first half of 2018, which was in line with expectations but down from 6.
1 GW
last year.

Europe added 4.
5 GW of wind capacity in the first half of 2018

Onshore wind accounted for 3.
3 GW of new capacity, driven
by Germany (1.
6 GW), France (605 MW) and Denmark (202 MW).
1.
1 GW of offshore wind is mainly in the UK (911 MW), Belgium (175 MW) and Denmark (28 MW).

Germany will install new offshore wind installations
in the second half of this year.

For the full year 2018, WindEurope expects to add 3.
3 GW of offshore wind and 10.
2 GW of onshore wind, implying a total of 13.
5 GW
of new wind capacity for the year.

"Steady progress in new wind farm installations is expected this year, but growth is only driven
by a few markets.
" Pierre Tardieu, chief policy officer at WindEurope, said: "The figures also reveal some worrying trends
.
France has installed a number of new onshore wind this year, but has not issued a new onshore wind licence in the past eight months due to regulatory issues, which has also led to a lack
of subscription at recent auctions.
As a result, fewer new facilities will be installed in France, creating uncertainty
in the supply chain.
”

Tardieu added that projects in Germany now require permission to participate in onshore auctions, which is fine, but the rules must be permanent
.
It is unclear when the 4 GW of new onshore wind promised in the 2019-20 EU deal will be auctioned, and the new government has been slow
to confirm auction volumes.
Like all member states, Germany now needs to provide five years of visibility into future auction schedules and volumes under the terms of the new Renewable Energy Directive
.

"This visibility is key to the supply chain and to sustaining wind energy jobs and European growth
.
" "Investments in manufacturing, skills and R&D will only be made
when governments have a long-term understanding of supply chains," Tardieu said.
This clarity helps make new investment decisions and reduce costs
.
Addressing these issues will be key
to Europe's effective achievement of the 2030 target of 32% renewable energy.
”

Tardieu pointed out that Europe is too dependent on the UK
when it comes to offshore wind.
The UK is moving forward
in terms of both current installations and future production.
In contrast, Germany's new installation rate has slowed and other countries need to step up and accelerate offshore wind plans
.

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