Europe’s Wind Energy in 2024 in a snapshot: Where We Are and Where We’re Going

Europe added 16.4 GW of new wind capacity in 2024, according to WindEurope’s published annual report. That’s a clear sign of progress, but also a reminder that ambition alone won’t drive the energy transition. 

Onshore wind continues to dominate, contributing 84% of the new capacity. Offshore wind added 2.6 GW, less than expected, mainly due to delays in major projects, port congestion, and grid connection issues. Germany led overall growth with 4.0 GW of new capacity, followed by the UK and France. 

At the same time, wind energy met 19% of electricity demand in the EU, reaching record shares in countries like Denmark (56%), Ireland (33%), and Sweden (31%). This means wind was, after gas, the second largest source of electricity generation in the EU. 

But 2024 was also a year that tested Europe’s wind industry. 

Grid limitations, slow permitting, and underdeveloped infrastructure held back deployment. Across the EU, capacity additions fell short of WindEurope’s 2023 outlook by 23%. The transition is still happening, but not yet at the pace that climate and energy targets demand. 

It is well known that 2024 will be remembered as a challenging year for the industry, but why? Three core issues stood out in 2024: 

1. Permitting Delays
   Even though reforms to the EU Renewable Energy Directive are underway, many Member States are still struggling to apply the new rules effectively. We need more bold decisions in Congresses.  
2. Grid Bottlenecks
   Grid expansion hasn’t kept pace with new installations. More than 500 GW of wind capacity is currently waiting in connection queues across 10 European countries. We need wider agreements for critical investments to unlock for more reliable grid infrastructures. 
3. Offshore Infrastructure Constraints
   Offshore wind faces constraints in port capacity, vessel availability, and grid readiness. Many projects awarded in auctions cannot progress quickly due to a lack of support infrastructure. We need the supply chain to step up in capacity to meet deployment targets. 

 Onshore Wind: The Foundation 

Onshore wind will remain the backbone of wind development, making up 75% of new capacity across Europe and 81% in the EU. Key drivers will be: 

• New auction volumes (especially in Germany, France, Poland, and Italy) 

• Merchant market and PPA-based growth in Nordic countries 

• Repowering of aging wind farms, especially in Germany, Spain, and Italy 

Yet even with this momentum, policy uncertainty, local opposition, and grid limitations will continue to shape the pace and scale of development. 

Offshore Wind: The Next Frontier (But Not Without Challenges) 

Offshore wind is expected to more than double, reaching 84 GW installed in Europe by 2030 (including 48 GW in the EU). But the road is bumpy: 

• Several countries scaled back their 2030 targets due to slow auction frameworks and weak port/grid readiness. 

• Vessel and port constraints will become a major bottleneck by 2029. 

• Auction delays in Denmark and Lithuania, and underwhelming bids in France, show a mismatch between ambition and feasibility. 

WindEurope notes that while offshore installations are not expected to fall, many projects will likely be delayed by 1–2 years, risking the EU’s 2030 climate trajectory. 

One of the more promising trends is repowering, replacing older turbines with fewer, more efficient ones. 

• In 2024, Europe decommissioned 1.3 GW and repowered 1.6 GW. 

• By 2030, 21 GW of repowered capacity is expected, often doubling or tripling energy output with fewer turbines. 

• Yet regulatory obstacles still persist: in some countries, repowered projects face the same permitting hurdles as new ones. 

With 75 GW of European wind farms reaching 20+ years of age by 2030, repowering presents a vital, but underused, opportunity to scale generation without expanding land use. 

2024 marks a shift from offshore concentration to global diversification. New geographies are joining traditional markets, and floating technologies are pushing into deeper, more complex waters.

To navigate this expansion confidently, developers need tools that go beyond mapping or yield simulation. Youwind’s integrated platform brings together:

• Early stage screening tailored to each region’s constraints
• Wind resource assessment powered by high-resolution data
• Financial modeling wind energy and bankable yield assessment
• GIS constraint analysis that supports informed, site-specific decisions

With this unified approach, developers can respond to global momentum with localized clarity.

As the pressure mounts to deploy faster, smarter, and more cost-effectively, Youwind’s software platform is uniquely positioned to help. 

1. Accelerated Project Screening

The platform enables developers to identify high-potential sites in minutes, not weeks. By combining geospatial data, environmental constraints, and grid proximity, Youwind reduces early-stage risks and surfaces the best locations for development, a vital edge in crowded markets. 

2. Smarter Layout Optimization

Through automatic layout generation and energy yield modeling, Youwind helps users quickly iterate turbine layouts based on real terrain, turbine specs, and wake effects. This supports everything from landowner negotiations to auction pricing strategies, without the need for time-consuming external modeling. 

3. Streamlined Collaboration

Youwind facilitates collaboration between technical, commercial, and financial teams. Instead of using spreadsheets, maps, and documents across different systems, teams can align on a unified platform that reflects both engineering logic and business metrics. 

4. Scaling Across Borders

As more developers expand across Europe, and auctions become more complex, Youwind provides a standardized approach to evaluating markets, projects, and portfolios. Whether you’re preparing for a CfD in the UK or siting a merchant wind farm in Sweden, or repowering an asset in Turkey, the same platform supports it all. 

Europe’s path to 2030 is not just about building more wind farms. It’s about removing friction from the system, reducing delays, increasing precision, and giving developers and consultants the tools to act faster than the barriers that surround them. 

WindEurope’s report makes clear that the bottlenecks are not technical. They’re procedural, systemic, and logistical. 

This is where grounded digital solutions like Youwind become an enabler, not just a productivity tool. It allows stakeholders to turn strategy into execution, and ideas into connected megawatts. Data-driven easy decision-making is a must to which everybody in the industry should have access to.