The European offshore wind industry bagged €14bn in new investment in the first six months of 2016, according to WindEurope.
The lobby group said seven projects totalling 3.7GW of new capacity reached positive final investment decisions. The UK accounted for almost 75% of the new investments.
However, new offshore wind installations dropped by 78% in the same period a year earlier to 511MW although this figure is expected to rise next year.
“The record investment numbers show a clear industry commitment to offshore wind,” said WindEurope chief executive Giles Dickson.
“We expect installations will pick up significantly in 2017 but there are a lot of challenges out there still on offshore wind. Not least the uncertainty over future volumes and regulation in many key markets for the period after 2020.”
He added: “We’re a long way from being able to say ‘job done’ on offshore wind.”
Total installed offshore wind capacity in Europe stands at 11,538MW.
Image: Burbo Bank offshore wind farm (Dong)
