The European Commission on Tuesday presented a package of support measures that aim to propel the European wind energy sector to meet the EU's renewable energy targets.
The EU has set itself the target of achieving at least 42.5% renewable energy by 2030, which will require a "considerable" increase in installed wind power capacity, from 204 gigawatts (GW) in 2022 to more than 500 GW in 2030.
Last year, the installation of new wind turbines generated an additional 16 GW of capacity – a record increase of 47% compared to 2021. However, this is still well short of the 37 GW/year needed to meet the 2030 target.
At the same time, Europe's major wind turbine producers (including Belgium) have had to contend with time-consuming permit procedures. These slow down investment while raw material prices and high levels of inflation have also weighed on the sector, which is already facing stiff competition from third countries such as China.
"Wind energy technology was born in Europe. It is a European success story and must remain so", stressed European Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson.
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In its plan, the Commission is launching the "Accele-RES" initiative to ensure rapid implementation of the EU's revised renewable energy rules. This puts greater emphasis on digitising authorisation procedures and providing technical assistance.
The EU executive will also help Member States to improve electricity auctions in the sector, using "well-designed and objective" criteria to reward higher value-added equipment and ensure that projects are implemented in full and on time. Sustainability, environmental protection and cyber security will also be taken into account.
As for competition from China, the EU has no intention of closing its market but will be particularly attentive to security issues and unfair trading practices.
