Wind Europe – Wind energy in Europe, 2023

Wind energy in Europe saw significant growth in 2023, with 18.3 GW of new capacity installed, 16.2 GW of which was in the EU-27. However, this is only half of what is needed to meet the climate and energy targets for 2030. Most new capacity was onshore, but offshore installations are also increasing. Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden were the top three countries for new installations. Wind energy made up 19% of electricity consumption in the EU-27 in 2023. Expectations for 2024-2030 include ramping up annual build-out to meet targets, with the EU needing to build 29 GW of new wind farms per year on average. Challenges include grid connections, with governments needing to focus on accelerating development. Investments in new wind farms more than doubled in 2023, with a record €30bn in investments for offshore wind. The expected increase in annual build-out would bring total installed capacity in the EU to 393 GW by 2030, still short of the 425 GW target.