MARCH 2018 | MANE ENERGY | 3
Last year, Europe built more than 3 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity twice as much as 2016 – setting a new record in the process. The UK alone added half of the power capacity as technology and operating costs continue to fall allowing for bigger wind turbines and larger offshore wind farms overall.
Offshore wind farms have grown in size year-by-year with the average size increasing over 30% from 2016. The average size for a new wind farm is now 493MW. Europe now has a total offshore wind capacity of 15.78GW and is expected to grow to 25GW by 2020.
Wind turbines themselves have grown to rival many famous London landmarks easily eclipsing the London Eye and nearing the height of The Shard. By 2023, wind turbines could reach a capacity of 13-15MW each.
The push for more offshore wind is driven by not only the UK but also the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and now France as they enter the market.
In a previous issue of our Energy Magazine, we looked at how offshore wind costs can be cut further and a look at the size of wind turbines - click here to read more.
THE UK ADDED HALF OF EUROPE'S 3GW OF OFFSHORE
WIND CAPACITY IN 2017