Germany led Europe in wind turbine installations in 2024
Germany installed more wind turbines than any other European country in 2024, maintaining its position as the leader in wind power, according to industry association WindEurope.
With new onshore and offshore installations totalling more than 4 gigawatts (GW), Germany was ahead of the UK, which installed around 1.9 GW, France with 1.7 GW installed and Finland with 1.4 GW, according to WindEurope data released on Thursday.
Across the EU, a total of 13 GW of wind power was installed last year, below expectations. “This is disappointing,” said WindEurope’s Pierre Tardieu, citing grid bottlenecks, ongoing permitting challenges and tough financial conditions as key obstacles.
The expansion of offshore wind was further hampered by limited port capacity and a shortage of suitable vessels.
Europe installed 16.4 GW of new wind power in 2024, bringing total wind capacity to 285 GW. However, to meet EU climate targets for 2030, annual installations must reach 30 GW, the association said.
WindEurope projects that 186 GW of new wind power capacity will be installed between 2025 and 2030.
The EU aims to generate 42.5% of its total energy from renewables by the end of the decade, requiring a significant acceleration in wind power expansion.
WindEurope praised Germany for setting a national record with permits for 14 GW of wind power. The association urged other countries to follow suit by adopting EU approval regulations and expressed confidence that a new German government would continue the country’s “wind power success story.”
