The EU installed 17 GW of new wind power plants in 2023, which is a historic record. However, this remains considerably below the capacity needed to achieve the 2030 target, industry association WindEurope announced.
The total amount, which is 1 GW more than in 2022, includes 14 GW of onshore and 3 GW of 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, 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 EU.
Despite this 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.
