Europe installs 8.8 GW new wind power capacity in H126
Baku, September 3, AZERTAC
Europe installed 8.8 gigawatts (GW) of new wind power capacity in the first half of the year, with 7 GW of the total added in the European Union's (EU) 27 member states, Anadolu Agency reported citing a recent report by WindEurope.
Europe's total wind power capacity surpassed 311 GW during the period, including 270.5 GW of onshore and 40.9 GW of offshore capacity, according to the report published by the European wind energy industry's trade association.
Onshore wind accounted for 74% of the new capacity installed across Europe during the first six months of the year.
Germany led Europe in new wind installations, adding 3.4 GW in the first half of the year, followed by the UK with 789 megawatts (MW) and Spain with 612 MW.
Europe's total wind power capacity surpassed 311 GW during the period, including 270.5 GW of onshore and 40.9 GW of offshore capacity.
The EU's total wind power capacity exceeded 251 GW, comprising 228.4 GW of onshore and 23.2 GW of offshore capacity.
European wind projects reached nearly €9 billion in final investment decisions (FIDs) in the first half of 2026, according to the report.
Investment activity was concentrated mainly in onshore wind, with €7 billion committed to financing 4.5 GW of capacity.
On the offshore side, only the 630 MW Nordlicht II project reached FID during the period, with €1.9 billion committed to the project.
Europe ordered 10.6 GW of new wind turbines in the first half of the year, down 12% from the same period in 2025.
Of the total orders, 7.8 GW were for onshore turbines and 2.8 GW for offshore turbines.
European governments awarded 17.2 GW of new wind power capacity through auctions in the first half of 2026.
Of the total, 8.8 GW were awarded for onshore projects and 8.4 GW for offshore projects.
In addition, Denmark and Moldova awarded a combined 2 GW of capacity between July and August, including 1.8 GW of offshore and 170 megawatts of onshore capacity.
European governments plan to auction more than 24 GW of new wind power capacity in the second half of 2026.
According to the report, onshore wind permitting volumes in the first half of the year were disappointing in all monitored markets except Germany, with approvals declining compared with the same period in 2025.
New installations in the first half were only slightly below expectations. WindEurope now expects total installations in Europe to reach 24.1 GW this year.
The forecast is below the previous estimate of 25.4 GW but would still mark a record year for Europe if achieved.
WindEurope continues to expect annual wind installations in the EU to average 22 GW between 2026 and 2030.
The report said slower electrification, grid bottlenecks, ongoing permitting challenges and poorly designed auctions in several countries are causing wind power to expand more slowly than governments had targeted.
For offshore wind, restrictions on grid capacity, limited port infrastructure and constraints on the availability of suitable vessels are also hindering the sector's expansion.
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