WindEurope’s new Financing and Investment Trends report has laid out the investment made in new wind farms in Europe last year. The money put in totalled €27 billion, with the UK the largest investor. The investment provides 16.7GW of new wind capacity, with 12.5 from onshore wind and 4.2 from offshore. The report shows that 190 wind farms in 22 countries reached Final Investment Decision in 2018.
“Wind energy got 60% of all the new investments in power generation capacity in Europe last year,” said WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson. “And it was a record year for the amount of new wind energy capacity financed. Cost reduction means investors now get more MW per euro they invest. And lenders are more comfortable with the risks so the costs of finance are falling too. But Europe needs to keep investing significant amounts in wind if it’s going to meet its 32% renewables target for 2030.”
