Wind in power

2011 European statistics

February 2012
The European Wind energy association

WIND IN POWER: 2011 EUROPEAN STATISTICS

Contents
Executive summary ............................................................................... 3
Wind map 2011 .................................................................................... 4
2011 annual installations ....................................................................... 5

Wind power capacity installations .................................................. 5

Power capacity installations .......................................................... 6

Renewable power capacity installations ......................................... 7
Trends & cumulative installations ............................................................

Renewable power installations ......................................................

Net changes in EU installed capacity 2000-2011 ...........................

Total installed power capacity ........................................................

A closer look at wind power installations .................................................

Annual wind power installations ....................................................

National breakdown of wind power installations ..............................

Onshore and offshore annual markets ...........................................

Cumulative wind power installations ..............................................

Estimated wind energy production .................................................

9
9
9
10
10
11

Contributors
Justin Wilkes (Policy Director, EWEA)
Jacopo Moccia (Head of Policy Analysis, EWEA)
Mihaela Dragan (Research officer, EWEA)

Data sources
Bentek Energy PowerVision (formerly Platts), January 2012
EWEA, wind energy and ocean energy data
EPIA, solar PV data
ESTELA, CSP data
EU-OEA, Ocean energy data
EGEC and Eurostat, Geothermal data

Special thanks to:

IGWindkraft (AT) EDORA and VWEA (BE) APEE and BGWEA (BG) CSVE (CZ) BWE and VDMA (DE) - DWIA and DKWind (DK)
Tuulenergia (EE) IWEA (EI) - HWEA (EL) AEE (ES) - Suomen Tuulivoimayhdistys ry and Technology Industries of Finland (FI)
SERTFEE (FR) Jardfeingi (FO) - Energy Institute Hrvoje Pozar (HR) MSZET and MSZIT (HU) ANEV (IT) LWPA (LT) Ministre
de lconomie et du commerce extrieur (LU) - LVEA (LV) NWEA (NL) NorWEA (NO) PWEA (PL) APREN (PT) AREE (RO)
ZVES (SK) Svensk Vindenergi (SE) - APE (SI) Suisse Eole (CH) TREB (TK) UWEA (UA) RenewableUK (UK)

Photo cover: Enel Green Power

The European Wind energy association

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7
8
8

Executive summary
2011 annual installations
9,616 MW of wind power capacity (worth some 12.6 billion) was installed in the EU during
2011, a similar figure to the previous year (9,648 in 2010);
Wind power accounted for 21.4% of total 2011 power capacity installations;
Renewable power installations accounted for 71.3% of new installations during 2011:
32,043 MW of a total of 44,939 MW of new power capacity;
More renewable power capacity was installed during 2011 than any other year, an increase
of 37.7% compared to 2010;
More power capacity was installed in 2011 than ever before - an increase of 3.9%, due
entirely to increasing renewable power installations.
Trends & cumulative installations
The EUs total installed power capacity increased by 35,468 MW net to 895,878 MW, with
wind power increasing its share of installed capacity to 10.5% (93,957 MW), and renewable
capacity increasing its share to 31.1%;
Since 2000, 28.2% of new capacity installed has been wind power, 47.8% renewables,
and 90.8% renewables and gas combined;
For only the third time since 1998 the EU power sector installed more coal than it decommissioned, highlighting the urgent need for the EU to move to a 30% greenhouse gas reduction
target for 2020, to introduce an Emissions Performance Standard, and to end decades of
subsidies for new coal build and its fuel;
The EU power sector continues its move away from fuel oil and nuclear, with each technology
continuing to decommission more than it installs;
Wind power installations
 Annual installations of wind power have increased steadily over the last 17 years from 814
MW in 1995 to 9,616 MW in 2011, an annual average market growth of 15.6%;
A total of 93,957 MW is now installed in the European Union, an increase in installed cumulative capacity of 11% compared to the previous year;
Germany remains the EU country with the largest installed capacity, followed by Spain,
France, Italy and the UK;
Growth in onshore installations in Germany and Sweden, and offshore in the UK - together
with continuing strong performance from some emerging onshore markets in Eastern Europe
have more than offset the fall in installations in mature markets such as France and Spain;
The wind capacity installed by the end of 2011 would, in a normal year, produce 204 TWh of
electricity, representing 6.3% of electricity consumption up from 5.3% the year before.

The European Wind energy association

FINLAND
197
SWEDEN
2,907

Wind power installed in Europe by end of

2011 (cumulative)
WIND IN POWER: 2011 EUROPEAN STATISTICS

NORWAY
520

RUSSIA
n/a***

ESTONIA
184

LATVIA 31
DENMARK
3,871*

IRELAND
1,631

FAROE ISLANDS
4

UNITED
KINGDOM
6,540

LITHUANIA 179

NETHERLANDS
2,328
BELGIUM
1,078

CZECH
REPUBLIC
217

LUXEMBOURG
44

FRANCE
6,800*

POLAND
1,616

GERMANY
29,060

SWITZERLAND
46

SLOVAKIA 3

AUSTRIA
1,084

HUNGARY
329

SLOVENIA
0
CROATIA
131

FYROM**
0

SPAIN
21,674

Installed
2010
EU Capacity(MW)
Austria
19
Belgium
325
Bulgaria
322
Cyprus
82
Czech Republic
23
Denmark
315
Estonia
7
Finland
52
France
1,396
Germany
1,493
Greece
238
Hungary
94
Ireland
82
Italy
948
Latvia
2
Lithuania
72
Luxembourg
1
Malta
0
Netherlands
56
Poland
456
Portugal
171
Romania
448
Slovakia
0
Slovenia
0
Spain
1,463
Sweden
604
United Kingdom
1,005
Total EU-27
9,648
Total EU-15
8,144
Total EU-12
1,504
Of which
883
offshore and
near shore

End
2010

ROMANIA
982

BULGARIA
612*

ITALY
6,747*

PORTUGAL
4,083

UKRAINE
151

TURKEY
1,799

GREECE
1,629

Installed
2011

End
2011

1,014
886
500
82
215
3,749
149
197
5,970
27,191
1,323
295
1,392
5,797
30
163
44
0
2,269
1,180
3,706
462
3
0
20,623
2,163
5,204
84,650
81,571
3,079

73
192
112*
52
2
178
35
0
830*
2,086
311
34
239
950*
1
16
0
0
68
436
377
520
0
0
1,050
763
1,293
9,616
8,409
1,208

1,084
1,078
612*
134
217
3,871
184
197
6,800*
29,060
1,629
329
1,631
6,747*
31
179
44
0
2,328
1,616
4,083
982
3
0
21,674
2,907
6,540
93,957
89,670
4,287

2,944

866

3,810

MALTA
0

European Union: 93,957 MW

Candidate Countries: 1,930 MW
EFTA: 565 MW
Total Europe: 96,607 MW
Installed 2010
Candidate Countries (MW)
Croatia
61
FYROM**
0
Serbia
0
Turkey
528
Total
589
EFTA (MW)
Iceland
0
Liechtenstein
0
Norway
18
Switzerland
25
Total
Of which
offshore and
near shore
Other (MW)
Faroe Islands
Ukraine
Russia
Total
Total Europe

End 2010

CYPRUS
134

Installed 2011

End 2011

89
0
0
1,329
1,418

42
0
0
470
512

131
0
0
1,799
1,930

0
0
436
42

0
0
84
3

0
0
520
46

43

478

87

565

0
1
0
1
10,280

4
87
9
101
86,647

0
66
n/a***
66
10,281

4
151
n/a***
164
96,607

* Provisional
** Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
*** Figure not communicated
Note: Due to previous year adjustments, 216.03 MW of project de-commissioning, re-powering
and rounding of figures, the total 2011 end-of-year cumulative capacity is not exactly equivalent
to the sum of the 2010 end-of-year total plus the 2011 additions.

The European Wind energy association

2011 annual installations

Wind power capacity installations
During 2011, 10,281(1) MW of wind power was
installed across Europe, of which 9,616 MW was in
the European Union, similar to the previous year.
Of the 9,616 MW installed in the EU, 8,750 MW was
onshore and 866 MW offshore. In 2011, the annual
onshore market remained stable compared to the
previous year, whilst the offshore market decreased
slightly (-1.9%).
Investment in EU wind farms in 2011 was 12.6 billion,
a similar figure to 2010. The onshore wind power
sector attracted 10.2 billion, while the offshore wind
power sector accounted for around 2.4 bn (19%).
In terms of annual installations, Germany was by far
the largest market in 2011, installing almost 2,100
MW of new capacity. The UK came in second with just
under 1,300 MW, 752 MW of which (58%) offshore,
followed by Spain with 1,050 MW. Italy (950 MW),
France (830 MW) and Sweden (763 MW) are followed
by Romania (520 MW).

installed during 2011 in MW. Total 9,616 MW  Figure 1.1

Greece
311
3%
Portugal
377
4%

Others
1,001
10%

Poland
436
5%

Germany
2,086
22%
UK
1,293
13%

Romania
520
5%
Sweden
763
8%
France
830
9%

Italy
950
10%

Spain
1,050
11%

MW). Both remain among the 10 biggest EU markets

for the second year running.
Offshore accounted for 8.9% of total EU wind power
installations in 2011.

Photo: RES

Among the emerging markets, after Romania, Poland

installed the second most capacity in 2011 (436

EU Member State market shares for new capacity

(1)

Figures for Russia were not available at time of publishing

The European Wind energy association

WIND IN POWER: 2011 EUROPEAN STATISTICS

Power capacity installations

2011 Share of new power installations in EU Figure 1.2

Wind power accounted for 21.4% of new installations

in 2011, the third biggest share after solar PV (46.7%)
and gas (21.6%).

Nuclear
331
1%

CSP
472
1%

Biomass
234.1
0%

Waste
69
0%

Geothermal
32
0%

Large hydro
606
1%

Solar PV installed 21,000 MW (46.7% of total

capacity), followed by gas with 9,718 MW (21.6%),
and wind with 9,616 MW (21.4%).

Small hydro
9
0%
Ocean
5
0%

Fuel oil
700
2%

No other technologies compare to wind, PV and gas

in terms of new installations. Coal installed 2.2 GW
(4.8% of total installations), fuel oil 700 MW (1.6%),
large hydro 607 MW (1.3%) and CSP 472 MW (1.1%).
Nuclear (331 MW), biomass (234 MW), waste (69
MW), geothermal (32 MW) and ocean technologies
(4.5 MW), each represented less than 1% of new
capacity installations.

Coal
2,147
5%

Wind
9,616
21%

PV
21,000
47%

Gas
9,718.3
22%

Overall, 2011 was a record year in the EU, with 45 GW

of new electricity generating capacity installed, a 3.9%
increase compared to 2010.
Figure 1.3

New installed capacity and decommissioned capacity in MW. Total 35,468 MW

25,000
21,000

20,000
15,000
9,718

10,000

9,616

5,000
2,147
700

0
-934

-216

-840

-1,147

606

472

331

-22

234

690

32

Small
hydro

Ocean

-60

-5,000
-6,253

PV

Gas

Wind

Coal

Fuel
oil

Large
hydro

New capacity

During 2011, 6.3 GW of nuclear capacity was decommissioned, and over 1 GW of fuel oil capacity was
taken offline. Gas decommissioned 934 MW, coal 840
MW and wind 216 MW.

CSP

Nuclear Biomass Waste

Geothermal

Decommissioned

MW). This hike in new coal power capacity highlights

the urgent need for the EU to move to a 30% greenhouse gas reduction target for 2020, to introduce an
Emissions Performance Standard, and to end decades
of subsidies for new coal build and its fuel.

For the second year running, coal installed more

capacity (2,147 MW) than it decommissioned (840

The European Wind energy association

Renewable power capacity installations

More renewable generating capacity was installed in
the EU in 2011 than ever before - 32 GW, representing
71.3% of all new installations. Since 2008 renewable
capacity installations have represented more than half
of all new installed capacity.

2011 share of new renewable capacity installations

Figure 1.4

(Total 32,043 MW) 

Geothermal
32
0%
Small hydro
8.6
0%
Ocean
4.5
0%

Waste
69

0%

Biomass
234

1%

CSP
472
1%
Large
hydro
606
2%

Wind
9,616
30%
PV
21,000
66%

Trends & cumulative installations

Renewable power installations
In 2000, new renewable power installations totalled
3.5 GW. Renewable capacity installations have been
growing almost tenfold over the past 11 years, to
reach 32 GW in 2011.

GW (53.8%) in 2010, and 32 GW (71.3%) in 2011.

302.6 GW of new power capacity has been installed
since 2000. Of this, 28.2% has been wind power,
47.8% renewables, and 90.8% renewables and gas
combined.

The share of renewables in total capacity additions

has also grown. In 2000, the 3.5 GW represented
20.7% of new power installations, increasing to 23.3

Figure 2.1

EU installed power generating capacity per year in MW AND RES SHARE (%)

50,000
71.3%

45,000

53.8%

40,000
35,000
31.5%
30,000

63.7%
46.2%

25,000

32.8%

20,000
20.7%

10,000

27.2%
13.1%

15.4%

56.8%

34.4%
38.2%

RES

12.3%
15,000

33.5%

44.4%

21.5%

5,000

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Peat
Ocean
Geothermal

Fuel oil
CSP
Large hydro

The European Wind energy association

Nuclear
Small hydro
PV

Coal
Waste
Wind

Gas
Biomass

WIND IN POWER: 2011 EUROPEAN STATISTICS

Net changes in EU installed capacity 2000-2011

The net growth since 2000 of gas power (116 GW),
wind power (84.2 GW) and solar PV (47.4 MW) was
at the expense of fuel oil (down 14.2 GW), nuclear
(down 13.5 GW) and coal (down 10.3 GW). 2011 saw
a sharp decrease in nuclear capacity due to the early
decommissioning of a number of reactors in Germany.
The other renewable technologies (hydro, biomass,
waste, CSP, geothermal and ocean energies) have

also been increasing installed capacity over the past

decade, albeit more slowly than wind and solar PV.
The 21st century sees the EU power sector moving
away from fuel oil, coal and nuclear while continuing to
increase its total installed capacity with gas, wind and
solar PV to meet increasing demand.

Figure 2.2

Net electricity generating installations in EU 2000-2011 in GW 

116

120
100

84
80
60
47
40
20
4
0

0.3

0.3

0.2

0.01

-10

20
Gas

Wind

PV

Large Biomass Waste

hydro

CSP

Small
hydro

Geothermal

Peat

Ocean

Coal

-14

-14

Nuclear

Fuel
oil

Total installed power capacity

Wind powers share of total installed power capacity
over the last decade has increased more than fourfold from 2.2% in 2000 to 10.5% in 2011. Over the
EU power capacity mix 2000 
Peat
1,868
0%

Gas
89,801
16%

Fuel oil
66,518 Large hydro
12%
105,552
18%

Nuclear
128,471
22%

88

Coal
159,482
28%

Figure 2.3
Wind
12,887
2%
Small hydro
4,514
1%
Biomass
2,790
1%
Waste
2,054
0%
PV
188
0%
Geothermal
604
0%

same period, renewable capacity increased by a third

from 22.5% in 2000 to 31.1% in 2011.

Figure 2.4

EU power capacity mix 2011

Fuel oil
53,745
6%

Gas
209,953
23%

Nuclear
121,444
14%

Peat
2,030
0%

PV
46,300
5%
Biomass
6,019
1%
Small hydro
4,845
1%

Large hydro
121,243
14%
Wind
93,957
10%

Coal
230,253
26%

Waste
3,804
0%
Geothermal
924
0%
Ocean
254
0%

CSP
1107
0%

The European
European Wind
Wind energy
energy association
association
The

A closer look at wind power installations

Annual wind power installations
Annual wind power installations in the EU have
increased steadily over the past 17 years from 814

MW in 1996 to 9,616 MW in 2011, an average annual

growth rate of 15.6%.
Figure 3.1

Annual wind power installations in EU in GW

12
10.5
9.6

10
8.5

9.6

8.3

7.6

8
5.9

5.5

5.8

6.2

4.4
4

3.2

2
1

0.8

1.3

3.2

1.7

0
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

National breakdown of wind power installations

In 2000, the annual wind power installations of the
three pioneering countries Denmark, Germany and
Spain represented 85% of all EU wind capacity

additions. In 2011, this share has decreased to 34%.

Wind power is increasingly being installed across
Europe.
Figure 3.2

Denmark, Germany and Spains share of EU wind power market (GW)

100%
90%

0.5

0.6

0.7

1.2

80%

1.7
2.6

70%

3.8

3.4
5.1

5.8

6.3

3.4

3.3

2010

2011

60%
50%
40%

2.7

3.8

5.2

4.3

30%

4.1
3.6

20%

3.8

5.2
3.4

4.7

10%
0%

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004
Rest of EU

The European Wind energy association

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Germany, Spain, Denmark

WIND IN POWER: 2011 EUROPEAN STATISTICS

Onshore and offshore annual markets

In 2011, offshore winds share of total installations was 9%, compared to 9.2% in 2010.
Figure 3.3

ANNUAL ONSHORE AND OFFSHORE INSTALLATIONS IN MW

11000

582

9000

318

883

866

8,764

8,750

2010

2011

373

93
7000

5000

90

259

51

170
9,929

4
7,526

3000

5,743
4,377

5,203

5,749

6,114

2004

2005

8,201

7,935

2007

2008

1000
2001

2002

2003

Offshore

2006

2009

Onshore

Cumulative wind power installations

A total of 93,957 MW is now installed in the European
Union, a growth of 11% on the previous year. Germany
remains the EU country with the largest installed
capacity, followed by Spain, Italy, France and the UK.

Nine other countries have over 1 GW of installed

capacity: Portugal, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden,
Ireland, Greece, Poland, Austria and Belgium.

Cumulative wind power installations in the EU (GW)

EU Member State market shares for total installed

Figure 3.4


100

94

90

84.6

80

75.1

70

64.7

60

56.5

50

48
40.5

40

34.4
28.5
23.1

30
20
10

4.8 6.5
2.5 3.5

9.7

17.3
12.9

2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995

10

Figure 3.5

capacity at end 2011 (total 93.7 GW)

Sweden
2.9
3%
Denmark
3.9
4%
Portugal
4.1
4%
UK
6.5
7%
Italy
6.7
7%
France
6.8
7%

Netherlands
2.3
3%

Ireland
1.6
2%

Other
8.3
9%
Germany
29.1
31%

Spain
21.7
23%

The European Wind energy association

Estimated wind energy production

The wind capacity installed at end 2011 will, in a normal
wind year, produce 204 TWh of electricity, representing
6.3% of the EUs gross final consumption(2).

(almost 26%), followed by Spain (15.9%), Portugal

(15.6%), Ireland (12%) and Germany (10.6%). Overall,
in a normal wind year, installed wind capacity at end
2011 will meet 6.3% of the EUs electricity needs.

Denmark remains the country with the highest

penetration of wind power in electricity consumption

Figure 3.6

Wind share of total electricity consumption 

Denmark
Spain
Portugal
Ireland
Germany
EU
Cyprus
Greece
Sweden
UK
Estonia
Netherlands
Italy
Romania
Bulgaria
Austria
Lithuania
Belgium
France
Poland
Hungary
Luxembourg
Latvia
Czech Republic
Finland
Slovakia
Slovenia
Malta

25.9%
15.9%
15.6%
12%
10.6%
6.3%
5.4%
5.2%
4.5%
4.5%
4.4%
4.4%
4.2%
3.7%
3.4%
3.3%
3%
2.9%
2.8%
2.3%
1.7%
1.3%
0.9%
0.7%
0.5%
0%
0%
0%
5%

(2)

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

According to the latest figures from Eurostat, gross electricity consumption in the EU was 3,225.2 TWh in 2009

The European Wind energy association

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