Why the EU supports wind energy research and innovation
More than three decades of research and innovation have contributed to the success of wind energy in the EU.
In 2022, wind energy covered 16% of the EU electricity demand and, according to Eurostat, wind accounted for over one-third (37%) of the total electricity generated from renewable sources in the EU in 2021.
Wind energy is one of the key technologies to reach the EU energy and climate targets. According to these targets, more than one third of the EU electricity demand will be covered by wind energy by 2030, and up to more than 40% by 2050.
Challenges and opportunities
Among the different energy technologies, wind power has one of the lowest impacts on human health and the environment. Over the last 10 years, thanks to innovation and economy of scale, wind energy has become significantly cheaper and, in many parts of Europe, is the cheapest source of electricity today. The EU has global leadership in wind energy technologies and the EU wind energy sector is an important job provider.
However, to further address the various challenges the wind power sector is experiencing, research and innovation remain important:
- Considering the major growth of wind energy capacity needed to reach the EU energy and climate targets, solutions to address the potential impacts of wind energy on environment and health must be further developed.
- Solutions to increase the circularity of wind energy technologies are also essential to address the multiple challenges that the sector is facing. They help to reduce the demand for raw materials and the risk of disruptions along the supply chain while increasing the environmental performance of the sector.
- Onshore and bottom-fixed wind energy technologies are now well established and competitive technologies. At the same time, floating offshore technologies need further developments to become more competitive and be deployed at large scale.
What the EU is doing
On 24 October 2023 the EU Wind Power Package was presented, which addresses several challenges for the wind energy sector, amongst which fast-tracking of permitting, improving the auction systems across the EU and focusing on skills, access to finance and stable supply chains.
To ensure that offshore renewable energy can help reach the EU's ambitious energy and climate targets for 2030 and 2050, the Commission also published an update of the dedicated EU strategy on offshore renewable energy, which proposes concrete ways forward to support the long-term sustainable development of this sector.
EU research and innovation pays special attention to manufacturing, circularity, materials, skills and societal needs, with the aim of advancing the competitiveness of the clean energy sector, including wind energy technologies.
The EU continues its efforts to improve industrial productivity and efficiency across the value chain of wind energy, with a particular focus on offshore technologies. This involves improved manufacturing technologies, including digital technologies. An important objective is to build scale and reduce cost.
Projects are already ongoing to better assess and improve the environmental and social performance of wind energy technologies and additional actions are planned to better address the cumulative effects that different human activities and multiple offshore renewable energy farms have on ecosystems at sea basin level.
Funding opportunities
Horizon Europe
Calls for proposal on energy related themes in Horizon Europe and information on the work programme.
LIFE
The LIFE Programme is the EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action.
NER 300 programme
Funding for innovative low-carbon technology research with focus on environmentally safe Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and innovative renewable energy technologies
European Climate Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA)
The European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) is the successor organisation of the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA).
European structural and investment funds (ESIF)
Energy research related calls may be found in these funds
Prize for renewable energy islands
Prize rewarding achievements in local renewable energy production for electricity, heating, cooling and transport on islands.
Projects and results
Research project database (CORDIS)
The Commission's primary portal for EU-funded research projects and their results
Project success stories
Stories of particularly successful EU-funded projects
Horizon Magazine
Latest news, interviews and features about thought-provoking science and innovative research projects funded by the EU.
Horizon Results Platform
Platform where framework programme participants present their results for you to search, contact their owners, and form partnerships.
Results packs on energy
Thematic collections of innovative EU-funded research results in the energy field
Horizon dashboard
Access to real-time programme data with the ability to filter by country, region, theme and more
Collaboration and jobs
Find project partners
Find partners for open EU calls for proposal
European partnerships
Collaborate in energy research and innovation public-private partnerships
International cooperation
International cooperation between the EU and global stakeholders in energy
Jobs (EURAXESS)
Researcher jobs in related fields
Scientific publications, tools and databases
Strategic Energy Technologies Information System (SETIS)
SET-Plan implementation progress reports giving data by priority area, country and energy source
Scientific publications
Scientific energy research publications published by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC)
Scientific research tools and databases
The Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) compiles databases and develops software and modelling tools. You can access energy research related ones here
EU publications portal
Online library of EU energy research publications
EU Open Data Portal
Single point of access to open data produced by the EU institutions - all data free to use for commercial and non-commercial purposes
OpenAIRE
You can access all scientific publications from Horizon 2020 via OpenAIRE
Documents
Study on the offshore energy potential in the Atlantic Ocean
Clean Energy Technology Observatory, Wind energy in the European Union
Status report on technology development, trends, value chains and markets : 2022
Research and Innovation to boost the development of offshore renewable energy (Factsheet)
Latest
Members of the North Seas Energy Cooperation grasp historic opportunity to accelerate Europe’s move towards energy independence
Energy Ministers from the members of the North Seas Energy Cooperation (NSEC) and the European Commission have today announced a significant increase in their collective ambition in the deployment of offshore renewable energy.
President von der Leyen participates in the Leaders' Summit on offshore wind in the North Sea
Today the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, will travel to Esbjerg, Denmark, for the Leaders' Summit on offshore wind in the North Sea.