Wind energy in the EU will more than triple its power output by 2020 with Eur194 billion invested in European onshore and offshore wind farms during this decade, predicts the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA). Electricity production from wind power is expected to increase from 182 Terawatt hours (TWh) or 5.5% of the total EU demand in 2010, to 581 TWh or 15.7% of the total demand in 2020.
By 2020 the electricity production from wind energy will be equivalent to the total electricity consumption of all households in France, Germany, Poland, Spain and the UK together.
By 2030 1,154 TWh (28% of total demand) would be produced by wind power, more than the EU’s predicted 241 million private households are expected to consume in 2030. Today, wind power produces electricity equivalent to the consumption of 50 million average EU households.
EWEA’s ‘Pure Power’ report shows that the 27 EU Member States will have very different increases in wind power capacity over the coming years. According to EWEA, wind power capacity in Ireland will increase fourfold and represent 52% of the country’s electricity demand by 2020. UK capacity is expected to grow by a factor of five to account for 19% of electricity demand by 2020.