Europe’s wind power capacity grew by 19.1 GW in 2025, with the European Union contributing 15.1 GW of that total, according to WindEurope’s latest annual assessment. The majority of new installations were onshore projects, accounting for roughly 90% of additions. By the end of the year, Europe’s cumulative wind fleet reached 304 GW, with land-based turbines representing 87% of the total. Within the EU alone, installed capacity climbed to 246 GW, of which 91% is onshore.
Despite nearly 1 GW of aging wind facilities being dismantled, around 2 GW of repowered projects entered operation, bringing effective net additions to 18.2 GW. Overall electricity generation from wind in the EU edged slightly lower compared to 2024, standing at 465 TWh, about 10 TWh less year-on-year, largely due to weaker wind conditions in the early months. Wind covered 19% of the EU’s electricity demand, unchanged from the previous year, with total demand just below 2.5 PWh.
Germany led new installations, adding approximately 5.7 GW, including 503 MW of offshore projects, bringing its total operational capacity to 77.7 GW at the end of 2025. Spain followed with 33.2 GW, entirely onshore, while the United Kingdom reached 32.9 GW, half of which is offshore. France, Sweden, and Turkey also rank among Europe’s top wind markets. Together, these six countries represent about two-thirds of Europe’s installed wind capacity.
Offshore development slowed, with only 1.96 GW connected to the grid in 2025, the lowest annual addition since 2016, primarily due to construction delays. Only the UK, Germany, and France expanded their offshore fleets during the year, though a rebound is expected in 2026.
In Southeastern Europe, Turkey delivered one of the strongest performances, commissioning 2.1 GW of new onshore capacity and raising its total to 15.9 GW by year-end. WindEurope projects that Turkey could add another 10.9 GW by 2030, potentially exceeding 26 GW of onshore capacity. Greece added 340 MW, reaching 5.7 GW, Romania added 330 MW to 3.5 GW, and Serbia added 199 MW, reaching 807 MW. In terms of electricity share, Greece leads with 21%, followed by Croatia at 17%, while Turkey and Romania each meet about 11% of demand from wind.
Looking ahead, WindEurope expects Europe to install an additional 151 GW by 2030, bringing the total to roughly 439 GW, with 77% projected as onshore. For the EU, 112 GW of new installations are forecast, bringing total capacity to about 343 GW, below the official 425 GW target. This year alone, the EU is expected to add 19 GW, while Europe overall could see 25 GW.
Repowering will play a growing role, with 16 GW of existing farms expected to retire by 2030. Roughly half of that capacity will be replaced with 17 GW of upgraded projects, while 8 GW will be permanently dismantled. Modernization typically triples electricity output while reducing the number of turbines by about one-third.
