EU member states sign European Wind Charter in ‘huge day’ for industry

The EU said on Tuesday (19 December) that energy ministers from 26 different member states signed the agreement, which promotes a range of new commitments designed to spur the development and deployment of new wind energy projects in the bloc. 

Included in the package are pledges to streamline and speed up permitting procedures for wind energy projects — a move previously demanded by major wind industry players in Europe and one endorsed by the bloc’s Renewable Energy Directive. A greater role for digitisation in the permitting process is also encouraged. 

Signatories to the package are obliged to make more use of qualitative criteria such as security and sustainability when organising auctions for new wind capacity in their countries in an effort to improve project viability and robustness going forward. 

Member states must also ensure auction prices are indexed to reflect increases in input costs that have blighted various major wind tenders in Europe amid high inflation and supply chain pressures. 

‘Huge day’

The EU will also require states to publish ten-year action plans laying out in clear steps how they will achieve their wind energy targets while including a longer-term outlook on goals for 2040. 

Additional provisions promote sweeping improvements to grid infrastructure in member states and free up state aid rules to allow member state governments to cover a certain percentage of costs for the rollout of wind energy in the bloc – such as the costs of setting up a new wind manufacturing plant. 

Industry body WindEurope praised the signing of the charter as a major milestone for the future of wind energy in the bloc. 

“Today is a huge day for Europe’s wind energy industry: 26 countries have committed to implement the actions set out in the EU’s excellent wind power package. The actions on permitting, finance and auctions will help boost the expansion of wind energy and strengthen Europe’s wind industry,” said Giles Dickson, CEO of WindEurope. 

“This is good for jobs and growth and for Europe’s energy security. And it shows Europe as a whole understands the urgent need to strengthen its wind industry”, he added. 

The European Wind Charter was signed by major European wind manufacturing and development companies in addition to member states, with Vestas, Siemens Gamesa, Nordex, Vattenfall, Ørsted, EDF and others among the signatories. 

The charter combines with various other new rules brought in by the European Commission to hasten the transition to renewable sources of energy in the bloc, such as the Renewable Energy Directive and a €5 billion counter-guarantee scheme for wind turbine manufacturers introduced by the European Investment Bank.