According to WindEurope, the Brussels-based European Wind Energy Promotion Association, Europe installed 1.3 GW of new offshore wind power capacity in the first half of 2021.
By 2050, the European Union (EU) is expected to generate about 20% of electricity through offshore wind power projects, and currently has 120 offshore wind power projects. European governments have pledged to install 111 GW of operating offshore wind power capacity by 2030.
According to WindEurope, 2.5GW of wind turbines has been ordered, which is twice the current installation rate. As the newly installed turbines average 8-10MW each, the size of the turbines is getting larger and larger. At the same time, orders for 12-15MW turbines are also being placed. The Dogger Bank wind farm will be equipped with 14MW turbines, which can power homes for two days with a single rotation.
The association said that Spain has announced its offshore wind power strategy, while the Polish government has signed a contract with developers for a 6 GW offshore wind power project that is expected to start operations in 2026. Greece is also expected to prepare legislation for the first offshore wind power auction in 2022. The association said that Europe is expected to open the world's first offshore wind power project connected to the grid with Germany and Denmark.
Promote the development of hydrogen strategy
At the same time, France launched the auction of large floating wind farms and began construction of its first offshore wind power project. It also initiated infrastructure projects for the new port in the Mediterranean to develop three floating wind farms. In addition, Europe also plans to use offshore wind energy to produce renewable hydrogen, because Ørsted expects to build a 1GW electrolyzer in its SEAH2LAND project. The electrolyzer will be connected to a new 2GW offshore wind power project in the North Sea in the Netherlands and should produce hydrogen by 2030.
As governments formulate COVID-19 recovery strategies, green hydrogen is considered a key driver, especially in Europe. In its most recent hydrogen strategy, the European Union (EU) requires a hydrogen electrolyzer capacity of 40GW by 2030. Giles Dickson, CEO of WindEurope, said: “Offshore wind power has produced 3% of Europe’s electricity and will grow rapidly. Turbines are becoming larger and more powerful. More and more countries are building. Offshore wind farms, and promised to develop when the cost drops, making offshore wind power a thing for the whole of Europe." "Europe continues to be a leader in technology, including floating wind. We are innovating in integrating offshore wind power into the energy system, the world Shanghai’s first wind farm is connected to two countries and has invested in hydrogen production from offshore wind energy.” Dixon added.
The association added that the government needs to continue to participate in its regulatory framework, auctions, grid planning, construction of supply chains, and to ensure the coexistence of rapidly expanding offshore wind power with other social and economic interests in the marine sector.
Keywords: new energy, international engineering news, foreign engineering project information
In 2020, the European Commission announced plans to increase the installed capacity of European offshore wind power from the existing 12 GW to 60 GW by 2030, and to 300 GW by 2050. It also proposes to increase the capacity of ocean energy and other emerging technologies (such as floating wind and solar) to 40 GW by 2050.Editor/Baohongying
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