EU wind power will triple by 2020

The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) today published its scenarios for onshore and offshore wind power deployment in the EU, ahead of the European Commission's Energy Roadmap 2050, due to be published later this year.

“Wind energy will more than triple its power output by 2020 with 194 billion Euros invested in European onshore and offshore wind farms in this decade”, said Justin Wilkes, Policy Director of EWEA. “This success is mainly driven by a strong EU regulatory framework to 2020, which we need also after 2020”.

“Wind power will not only make a very substantial contribution to meeting Europe's commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It strongly accelerates a shift away from expensive fossil fuels, creates jobs, makes Europe more competitive, and provides secure and renewable power production in Europe”, said Wilkes.

Electricity production from wind power is expected to increase from 182 Terawatt hours (TWh) or 5.5% of the total EU demand in 2010, to 581 TWh or 15.7% of the total demand in 2020.

By 2020 the electricity production from wind energy will be equivalent to the total electricity consumption of all households in France, Germany, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom together.

By 2030 1,154 TWh (28% of total demand) would be produced by wind power, more than the EU's predicted 241 million private households are expected to consume in 2030. Today, wind power produces electricity equivalent to the consumption of 50 million average EU households (1).

EWEA's “Pure Power” report shows that the 27 EU Member States will have very different increases in wind power capacity over the coming years.(2)

Increase in wind power capacity by EU Member States from end 2010 to 2020

Factor by which wind power capacity will increase and % of the country's electricity demand by 2020 (these figures represent EWEA's baseline scenario for 2020, % rounded).

Austria: x 3.5 (10%)
Belgium: x 4.3 (10%)
Bulgaria: x 8 (18%)
Cyprus: x3.6 (12%)
Czech Republic: x 7.4 (4%)
Denmark: x 1.6 (38%)
Estonia: x 3.4 (11%)
Finland: x 9.6 (5%)
France: x 4 (11%)
Germany: x 1.8 (17%)
Greece: x 5.4 (23%)
Hungary: x 3 (4%)
Ireland: x 4.2 (52%)
Italy: x 2.7 (9%)
Latvia: x 6.4 (5%),
Lithuania: x 6.5 (18%)
Luxembourg: x 7.1 (7%)
Malta: 0 to 100 MW(8%)
Netherlands: x 4.2 (20%)
Poland: x 9.5 (14%)
Portugal: x 1.9 (28%)
Romania: x 6.5 (10%)
Slovakia: 3 to 800 MW (5%)
Slovenia: 0 to 500 MW (6%)
Spain, x 1.9 (27%)
Sweden: x 4 (15%)
United Kingdom: x 5 (19%)

EU-27: x 2.7 (16%)

(1) According to the EC PRIMES model, an average EU household's consumption is 3.76 MWh in 2010.
(2) EWEA's assumption of EU installed wind power of 230 Gigawatts (GW) by 2020 is “conservative”. It does not differ much from those presented by 27 EU Member States in their “national action plans” with a total of 213 GW. The European Commission similarly assumes 222 GW of installed wind capacity by 2020.