Europe installed an overall new wind capacity of 11.7 GW in 2018 (9 GW onshore and 2.7 GW offshore), with a significant decrease (-32%) with respect to 2017 (17.1 GW). Such result was largely due to the decrease in key countries for the wind sector, such as Germany. Nevertheless, wind energy is still the second energy source by installed capacity in EU-28, after gas capacity, with an overall 178.8 GW. In 2019, wind energy is foreseen to become the first energy source by capacity in EU-28.
Evolution of the cumulative installed capacity in EU-28 in 2008-2018 [Source: Wind Europe]
Wind energy achieved the biggest share of new installed capacity in 2018 (49%). Furthermore, with a total of 362 TWh, wind energy covered 14% of the entire electrical energy demand in EU-28. For instance, Denmark achieved 41% (first place in EU-28), 28% for Ireland and 6% for Italy. Renewable energy represented about 95% of the new installed capacity in Europe in 2018: 19.8 GW out of 20.7 GW of the overall installed capacity.
2018 was a record year for the new financed capacity to be installed in the next years, reaching a 16.7 GW value equal to 26.7 billion€ (+20% with respect to 2017): this was equal to 63% of the overall investment capital for renewable energy.
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