Ørsted's Errboe Takes Over WindEurope Chairmanship as Europe's Wind Sector Eyes Record 24 GW of New Capacity

Brussels – Rasmus Errboe, CEO of Danish energy group Ørsted, has taken over the 18-month chairmanship of European wind industry association WindEurope. Salvatore Bernabei, CEO of Enel Green Power, was elected Vice-Chair. The new leadership takes office as Europe is on track to install a record 24 GW of new wind capacity in 2026.

Despite the expected record year, WindEurope says the pace of expansion will not be sufficient over the longer term. For the EU, the association expects average annual additions of around 22 GW through 2030, which would bring installed EU wind capacity to roughly 342 GW by that year — well short of WindEurope's stated EU target of 425 GW. The industry cites grid bottlenecks, permitting delays, insufficient electrification, and unsuitable auction conditions as key obstacles.

Europe on Track for New Wind Installation Record in 2026

Europe installed 8.8 GW of new wind capacity in the first half of 2026, around 30 percent more than in the same period a year earlier. Of that total, 7.1 GW was installed in the EU. Germany led European additions with 3.4 GW. WindEurope now expects full-year installations of 24 GW.

Europe had more than 311 GW of installed wind capacity at mid-year, comprising 270.5 GW onshore and 40.9 GW offshore. WindEurope forecasts this will rise to 436 GW by 2030, with the EU accounting for around 342 GW of that total. Wind energy currently covers around 20 percent of Europe's electricity consumption.

Investment data present a mixed picture. According to WindEurope, EUR 9 billion was mobilized for new wind farms in the first half of 2026, financing 5.2 GW of capacity. Firm turbine orders, however, fell 12 percent year-on-year to 10.6 GW.

Errboe Seeks Faster Delivery of EU Targets Through Improved Framework Conditions

As WindEurope's new chair, Errboe views wind energy as a key building block for secure, affordable energy supply and for Europe's competitiveness. According to Errboe, turning expansion ambitions into concrete projects will require faster electrification and grid expansion, as well as the creation of suitable investment conditions across Europe. As chair, he represents WindEurope's membership across the onshore and offshore value chain, including developers, manufacturers, suppliers, and national associations.

The pressure to act also stems from Europe's binding targets: the EU has set a minimum renewable energy share of 42.5 percent of energy consumption by 2030, with an ambition of 45 percent. For wind energy specifically, WindEurope cites an EU target of 425 GW by 2030. The currently projected expansion to around 342 GW would fall short of that target by around 83 GW.

With Errboe taking office, attention is shifting beyond this year's record additions to the framework conditions for the next phase of expansion. The key question will be whether auctions translate into sufficient new investment decisions — and ultimately into wind farms that actually get built.

Source: IWR Online, 18 Sep 2026