Europe installed 132 new offshore wind turbines in the first six months of 2012 – a 50% increase on the same period last year
The turbines installed this year have a capacity of 523.2 megawatts (MW), whereas in the first half of 2011, 348.1 MW of capacity was installed.
As of 30 June 2012 Europe’s total offshore wind capacity was enough to power four million homes. A further 160 turbines have been built in 2012 but have yet to be fully connected to the grid. If connected by the end of the year, it could make 2012 the most successful year yet for offshore wind energy in Europe.
“Offshore wind power is increasingly attracting investors,” said Christian Kjaer, chief executive of the European Wind Energy Association. “Offshore wind power creates jobs in Europe, reduces our fuel import costs, and avoids the global and local health and environmental costs of extracting, transporting and burning fossil fuels,” he said.
