European wind developers are urging governments to take action to protect the industry, which is facing challenges in competitiveness and security. The European Union has set a target for wind to contribute 35% of its electricity by 2035, leading countries in the region to expand renewable energy capacity, particularly in offshore wind. However, developers are concerned about a slowdown in the build-out due to factors such as cost inflation, declining commercial viability, and lower investor confidence.
To address these challenges, developers at the WindEurope summit are calling on EU governments to auction at least 100GW worth of Contracts for Difference (CfDs) over the next ten years. These auctions would provide fixed price and indexed contracts to make projects more bankable. Additionally, developers want governments to evenly plan the commissioning deadlines of the 100GW, with 10GW annually from 2031-2040, to create market predictability and allow for sufficient time for investments.
WindEurope Chairman Henrik Andersen emphasized the need to scale up wind energy to drive industrial growth and energy independence across Europe. One of the challenges identified for competitiveness is the high electricity prices in some European countries, driven by taxes and levies that hinder renewables-based electrification and industrial use. For example, electricity charges for households in Spain are 19 times higher than gas charges, highlighting the need for a more balanced approach to energy pricing.
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