Europe installed 8.8 GW of new wind capacity in the first half of 2026, putting it on track for a record year. WindEurope now expects 24 GW of new wind capacity to be installed by the end of 2026, following high installation activity over the summer. The industry is entering an expected ramp-up phase towards annual installations of 30 GW in the 2030s. Germany led installations in the first six months of the year, with 3.4 GW, while Denmark, Poland, Portugal and France also recorded significant increases. Ukraine installed more than 400 MW despite the ongoing war.
According to WindEurope’s Autumn Report, Europe invested €9 billion in new wind farms during the first half of 2026, which will be built in the coming years. National governments awarded more than 17 GW of wind capacity through auctions during the period and are expected to tender a further 26 GW in the second half of the year. Europe has never auctioned more new wind capacity in a single year.
WindEurope expects Europe to reach 436 GW of total installed wind capacity by 2030. Of this, 342 GW is expected to be installed in the EU, meeting 27% of EU electricity demand by 2030.
Structural challenges remain, particularly around permitting. Germany has demonstrated the potential of the EU permitting rules, granting permits for more than 9 GW of new onshore wind capacity in the first six months of 2026 and remaining on track for another record year. However, Germany is an outlier, with permitting volumes declining in Spain, France, the UK, Italy and Ireland.
WindEurope identifies five priorities for the EU and national governments: implementing the EU permitting rules, completing the EU grids package and increasing grid investment, directing Emissions Trading System revenues towards industrial electrification, setting a binding renewable energy target for 2040 and avoiding further experimentation with auction design. It considers two-sided Contracts for Difference the preferred approach for supporting large-scale investment.
