Boosting R&D for Wind Energy is Key
Targeted Research & Innovation is needed to accelerate the large-scale deployment of cost-competitive wind energy and support the existing European supply chains. This is according to a new report from the European Technology & Innovation Platform on Wind Energy (ETIPWind), released at WindEurope’s Offshore 2019 event in Copenhagen.
Europe needs a rapid scale up of wind energy to help keep global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius and deliver on it Paris Climate Agreement commitments. According to the European Commission’s Long Term Decarbonisation Strategy, Europe will need between 700 and 1,200GW of wind capacity up from today’s 190GW.
To deliver on its Climate and Energy objectives, Europe needs strong industrial policies and research programmes to further improve wind energy technology and continue to drive down costs. Targeted support in Research & Innovation will also strengthen supply chains, create local jobs and boost the global leadership of the European wind industry. By 2050, wind could supply 50% of Europe’s electricity and be the engine of the incoming European Commission’s Green Deal.
The ETIPWind Roadmap report provides technology solutions and research priorities that will drive the development of wind energy and help reduce costs across the supply chain. These include:
- technologies to facilitate system integration (e.g. power electronics) and optimise operations and maintenance
- the development of better and more sustainable materials
- new solutions to manufacture, transport and install the next generation of wind turbines.