Renewables make up over 70 percent of EU new capacity

• 12 years ago (2012-02-08)
• David Flin

Europe 1089 Renewables 776

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The EU set a new record for new power generation capacity in 2011, with renewable energy infrastructure making up over 70 percent of new installations for the year, according to a report from the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA). Renewable energy installations accounted for 32,043 MW from a total of 44,939 MW of new power capacity introduced across the EU in 2011, representing 71.3 percent of new capacity.

The “Wind in Power” report states that new solar PV installations made up 21,000 MW of new capacity, making it by far the biggest contributor to the EU’s total new energy in 2011. Wind power accounted for 21.4 percent of the EU’s total new power capacity, with 9,616 MW of new wind energy installed last year. This represents a 10.5 percent increase in wind capacity.

Annual market growth in wind energy has grown at a steady 15.6 percent, spurred by strong investment in Germany, Spain, Italy and the UK. Almost 100,000 MW of wind power is now installed in the EU, producing 204 TWh, or 6.3 percent of total EU energy consumption.