Europe installed a record 3.6 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity in 2019 but a much sharper rise is needed for the bloc to meet its climate targets, industry group WindEurope said today.
Europe announced plans last year for a green deal to set a target of net zero emissions by 2050, a goal which will require a huge increase in the amount of electricity produced from renewable resources.
The 2019 figure was up 38% on the 2.6 GW installed in 2018.
The bloc now has 22 GW of offshore wind capacity, WindEurope said, but it said meeting the Green Deal targets would require 7 GW of new offshore wind power installed a year by 2030 and 18 GW a year by 2050, the report said.
The European Commission is expected to publish this year more details of how it intends to reach the emissions target.