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The slow-down in the rate of installation means companies might have to look elsewhere to employ their vessels
Offshore wind “fastest-growing European power sector”
Significant numbers of offshore wind turbines continue to be installed in Europe, but the pace at which they are installed is slowing – at least for the time being
FIGURES released by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) in July show that, despite the rate of offshore wind installation being lower than in the first six months of 2013, it remains the fastest-growing power sector in Europe. There are currently 16 offshore windfarms under construction in Europe, and once completed, they will bring online 4.9 gigawatts (GW) of power capacity.
12 I Offshore Wind Journal I 3rd Quarter 2014 However, Justin Wilkes, deputy chief executive officer at
EWEA, said that, despite significant financing activity in the first half of the year, the contraction in installations in the first six months of 2014 may well continue into 2015 and 2016. “To ensure healthy growth in the latter part of the decade and to ensure offshore wind energy plays its role in meeting the EU’s competitiveness, security, renewable and climate objectives, the industry must be given longer-term visibility,” said Mr Wilkes, noting that an ambitious deal on the 2030 Climate and Energy package by the EU’s heads of state in October would “send the right signal, making their decision particularly important for the offshore wind sector”. Total installed offshore wind capacity in Europe is now 7,343 megawatts (MW) in 73 windfarms across 11 countries, capable of producing 27 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity, enough to meet the needs of over 7 million households – or the entire population of the Netherlands.
The work carried out in the first six months of 2014 included 224 new offshore wind turbines, totalling 781MW that were
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