Newsarchive - WindEurope

WindEurope - WindEurope

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WindEurope

Newsarchive - WindEurope 3

Hundreds of new jobs in offshore wind in Poland

10/17/2022

WindEurope welcomes the announcement by Vestas to build a nacelle factory near Szczecin in Poland for offshore wind turbines. Poland already has a strong supply chain for offshore and onshore wind. Especially in the north of the country where coastal areas which had strong shipbuilding and other maritime industries now have jobs and growth from making foundations, blades and other equipment for wind energy.

The EU’s future-proof electricity grid will need many more onshore and offshore interconnectors

10/03/2022

WindEurope took part in the European Commission’s Projects of Common Interest (PCI) Energy Days – which are dedicated to the practical implementation of the EU’s PCIs for energy.

WindEurope message to national Governments on electricity markets

09/26/2022

You will decide new rules for revenue caps on inframarginal electricity generation at the Energy Council on 30 September.

European Parliament doing good job on Renewables Directive – it must now deliver on permitting

09/23/2022

Last week the European Parliament voted on the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III). The Parliament can now start negotiations with the 27 Member States on a final text – in so-called trilogues. These should conclude by the start of 2023. RED III is a critical instrument to drive Europe’s path towards climate neutrality and deliver on the higher wind ambition now set by Europe’s new energy security strategy – REPowerEU, namely 510 GW of wind energy by 2030 up from 190 GW today.

Emergency measures on electricity market: avoid a patchwork that undermines renewables investments

09/20/2022

The European Commission has proposed new rules that would cap the price of wind energy and other so-called inframarginal power generation at €180/MWh. WindEurope supports the aim of cushioning the impact of high electricity prices on families and businesses. But national caps that deviate from an EU-wide cap would create a patchwork that would undermine investments in renewables.

North Seas Summit focuses on how to deliver ambitious new offshore wind targets

09/13/2022

Ministers and top officials from the 9 “North Seas” countries and the EU Commission met in Dublin today. That’s Belgium, Ireland, Denmark, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. They adopted a declaration with ambitious new volumes for the expansion of offshore wind. They discussed how exactly to deliver those volumes, with a special focus on how to strengthen Europe’s offshore wind supply chain.

Emergency measures should target real profits only and support investment in renewables

09/07/2022

Emergency measures on electricity markets should be temporary. Any measures on profits should target actual profits only. And they should support the urgent need for increased investment in renewables.

Baltic Sea Countries sign declaration for more cooperation in offshore wind

09/02/2022

On 30 August 2022 the Heads of Governments and Energy Ministers of the 8 countries around the Baltic Sea met in Copenhagen. They committed to new volumes for the build-out of offshore wind in the Baltic Sea and agreed to cooperate more closely on it and on energy more broadly

Sweden: Making up lost ground on offshore wind

08/15/2022

Over the last few months the Swedish Government has made important announcements on offshore wind. Sweden does not yet use the full offshore wind potential its large coastlines offer. But they want to make up the lost ground. And the wind industry is lining up impressive gigawatt-scale projects in Swedish waters.

Energy security: France takes emergency measures to boost renewables

08/08/2022

France gets around 20% of its electricity from renewable sources – 8% from wind energy, but it needs more to meet its climate goals while reinforcing energy security. The war in Ukraine and disruptions in its conventional electricity generation fleet are putting France’s energy system under stress. The French Government is taking unprecedented steps to maximise renewable electricity generation as part of the solution.

First Greek Offshore Wind Law seeks 2 GW by 2030

08/04/2022

Last week the Greek Parliament approved Greece’s first Offshore Wind Law, a key milestone to kick-off offshore wind development. In the coming months the Greek Government will adopt several decrees specifying future offshore wind zones and auction criteria. By 2030 Greece wants to build at least 2 GW of offshore wind. Given the characteristics of Greek waters, much of it will be floating offshore wind farms.

Finland to build two large-scale offshore wind farms

07/20/2022

The Finnish Government has granted permits to lease its seabed for the development of two large-scale offshore wind farms. State-owned forest and seabed administrator Metsähallitus obtained permission to lease these areas.

Investors want to finance more wind energy – Governments need to back this

07/20/2022

On 28 June WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson spoke at an EU Commission Forum on Protecting and Facilitating Investment in the Single Market, organised by the Commission’s Directorate-General for Financial Stability and Capital Markets (DG FISMA). The main topic of discussion was how to facilitate sustainable investments.

Negative bidding in German offshore wind law threatens supply chain

07/13/2022

The German Parliament has adopted a new Offshore Wind Law (WindSeeG). It makes important changes to the design of Germany’s offshore wind auctions.

10 GW of new wind farms a year: German Parliament adopts new onshore wind law

07/11/2022

The German Parliament has adopted a new Onshore Wind Law (WindLandG) which aims to expand onshore wind by a massive 10 GW a year from 2025. It’s part of an “Easter Package” of measures which also enshrines the principle that the expansion of renewables is a matter of “overriding public interest”.

UK awards almost 11 GW in biggest-ever national renewables auction

07/08/2022

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has announced the results of the UK’s fourth Contract-for-Difference (CfD) auction round (AR4) for renewables. New renewables projects of almost 11 GW were awarded. That’s double what was awarded in the last round and nearly as much as the previous three rounds combined. Wind energy got 8.5 GW, most of it offshore. AR4 cements the UK’s position as the European leader in offshore wind. AR4 also marks a comeback of onshore wind in the U.K. and for the first time awards a floating wind project.

European Commission and renewables associations unite for a reconstruction of Ukraine with renewables at its core

07/04/2022

At a hybrid event jointly hosted by WindEurope, SolarPower Europe, the Ukrainian Wind Energy Association (UWEA) and the Solar Energy Association of Ukraine (ASEU), EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson reinforced the EU’s determination to support Ukraine – both throughout the ongoing war and in the following period of reconstruction.

EU Energy Ministers endorse faster permitting of renewables

06/28/2022

The EU Energy Ministers have agreed their position on changes to the Renewable Energy Directive and Energy Efficiency Directive, paving the way for faster build-out of renewables and streamlined permitting for wind farms. They agreed the Renewable Energy Directive should now include additional measures as proposed in the REPowerEU Action Plan to increase the EU’s energy security. EU Energy Ministers will now finalise the changes in negotiations with the European Parliament in autumn.

Europe’s offshore wind expansion will depend on vessel availability

06/15/2022

A major expansion of Europe’s offshore wind capacity is on the horizon and Poland wants to be a leading player. The country aims to build 28 GW of new offshore wind capacity by 2050. A new report now finds that the upcoming global shortage of specialised offshore wind vessels might pose a risk for project execution in Poland and worldwide. Poland should see the shortage as an opportunity to build up a fleet of modern vessels to service national and international markets.

The energy transition goes together with nature protection

06/10/2022

The European Commission’s REPowerEU Action Plan of 18 May 2022 set out detailed measures to reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels and accelerate the growth of renewables. Crucially it tackles the permitting bottlenecks that are holding back the expansion of wind and solar. ?But simpler and faster rules and procedures to build wind farms doesn’t mean levelling down on nature and biodiversity protection. ?Both are essential. ?They go hand in hand.

Europe can expect to have 10 GW of floating wind by 2030

06/03/2022

The world’s largest floating wind energy event, FOWT 2022, took place on 16 May in Montpellier. WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson moderated the Ministerial panel comprising: Elisabeth Sæther, Norwegian State Secretary for Energy; Sophie Mourlon, Director for Energy at the French Ministry for the Ecological Transition; and Ivan McKee, Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise in the Scottish Government.

Negative bidding in wind auctions is bad for consumers and bad for the supply chain

05/23/2022

A number of governments are now tempted to apply ‘negative bidding’ in their wind energy auctions, to make companies pay them for the right to develop a new wind farm.

Europe puts fast permitting of renewables at the heart of its energy security plan

05/19/2022

The European Commission has presented a new package of measures to help the EU wean itself off Russian fossil fuels well before 2030. The “REPowerEU Action Plan” spells out that renewables are at the core of Europe’s energy security. And crucially it tackles the permitting bottlenecks that are holding back the expansion of wind and solar. A new law will enshrine the principle that renewables are presumed to be in the “overriding public interest”. And they’ve explained in detailed recommendation and guidance documents how Governments can simplify their permitting processes.

North Sea offshore wind to help repower the EU

05/18/2022

Today European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will participate in an Offshore Wind Summit with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the Belgian Prime Ministers Alexander De Croo, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. In a joint declaration they are set to highlight the role of home-grown North Sea offshore wind in strengthening the EU’s energy security. The event coincides with the presentation of the EU’s REPowerEU Action Plan which will also underline the central role of wind energy.

Leading international trade fair WindEnergy Hamburg and the H2EXPO & CONFERENCE are setting their sights on the increased development of renewable energies

05/17/2022

From 27 to 30 September 2022, Hamburg will become an energy hub for the world. For four days, at WindEnergy Hamburg everything at the trade show site will revolve around generating energy from wind and its exploitation. At the H2EXPO & CONFERENCE, it is all about the generation, transport, storage and use of green hydrogen. Visitors and exhibitors can use the accompanying conference programme on open-access stages at the heart of the trade fair for industry-specific dialogue and network building.

New Dutch offshore auctions focus heavily on non-price criteria

05/10/2022

The Netherlands are about to close the bidding in their latest offshore wind auction – for the Hollandse Kust West site.

Europe invested €41bn in new wind farms in 2021

05/05/2022

WindEurope has published its annual Finance and Investment Trends report. It shows investor confidence in wind energy remains high. Europe invested €41bn in new wind farms in 2021. This is financing 25 GW of new capacity, a record. But the investments are falling well short of the 35 GW a year of new wind the EU now needs to build to meet its 2030 climate and energy security targets.

EU electricity market rules must support renewables investments

05/03/2022

The EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) has issued its final assessment of the EU electricity market design last week. It comes at a time of volatile electricity prices and unprecedented supply insecurity linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Its core message is the EU must maintain its electricity price setting mechanism and preserve the Internal Energy Market, a key asset in dealing with the crisis. Earlier this month WindEurope published a new paper on electricity market design, stressing that investor certainty is essential to mobilise the massive investments needed to improve Europe’s energy security.

The US is about to build lots of offshore wind – what can it learn from Europe?

05/02/2022

WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson moderated the US-EU Energy Council High-Level Business Forum on Offshore Wind in New Jersey on 27 April.

How do communities all over Europe benefit from having a wind farm nearby?

04/27/2022

On 14 April WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson spoke at the Mix.e event in Lyon, France. The discussion centred around the energy transition and its acceptability. The wind industry actively engages communities around Europe closely when it builds new wind farms, including in France. It is important these practices are applied everywhere and that communities continue to benefit from the energy transition.