WindEurope: EUR 6.4 Billion Needed for Ports and Vessels to Meet Offshore Wind Goals

Europe needs to invest an extra EUR 6.4 billion in port facilities and new vessels to reach its offshore wind energy goals, according to WindEurope.

Currently, Europe can install and maintain about 10 GW of offshore wind annually, enough to meet its 2030 energy security targets, but after 2030, this capacity must rise to at least 15 GW per year, says WindEurope.

In the past three years, EUR 4.4 billion has been invested in the infrastructure of ports. But given the strategic importance of ports for energy security and competitive renewable electricity, an additional EUR 2.4 billion would be needed so that Europe remains on track with post-2030 offshore deployment, the European wind energy organisation added.

The European Commission is now working on an EU-wide Ports Strategy, which should mobilise additional funding, streamline permitting, and establish EU-level planning for capacity and deployment needs.

The EU Maritime Industrial Strategy should complement the EU Ports Strategy in providing a clear investment roadmap for the expansion of ports and shipyards and streamlining permitting processes for modernising and building facilities.

The European offshore wind sector uses around 80 different vessels, including those specialised in the installation of turbines, foundations, substations, and cables, as well as crew transfers.

Over the past three years, Europe has invested at least EUR 2.3 billion in new vessels, but with the emergence of 15+ MW turbines, an additional EUR 4 billion will be needed to accommodate the next generation of offshore wind technology, WindEurope says.

The EU Maritime Industrial Strategy should enable the decarbonisation of maritime operations and support the shift to clean fuels like electricity, ammonia, and hydrogen. It should also provide funding for retrofitting vessels and building new zero-emission ships, according to the organisation.

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