WindEurope data show that Europe added 6.8 GW of new wind capacity in the first half of 2025, including 5.3 GW in the EU. Most of this was onshore wind (89%). Europe’s total installed wind capacity now stands at 291 GW, with 254 GW onshore and 37 GW offshore.
Germany is leading new installations and is expected to build 5 GW of onshore wind this year, nearly three times its recent annual average. This follows faster permitting procedures, with German authorities approving 15 GW of new onshore wind in 2024 and 8 GW in the first half of 2025. Permits are now typically processed within 18 months, in line with the EU Renewable Energy Directive (REDIII).
Elsewhere in Europe, progress is slower. None of the other 26 EU countries currently issue permits within the 24-month REDIII deadline, and in some cases procedures are becoming more complex. Grid bottlenecks, limited electrification progress and auction design issues are also constraining new development.
As a result, WindEurope has revised its 2025 forecast. Europe is now expected to add 19 GW of new capacity this year, down from an earlier estimate of 22.5 GW. For the EU, the forecast is 14.5 GW, compared to the original 17 GW. The EU is now projected to reach 344 GW of installed capacity by 2030, falling short of the 425 GW target.
Despite weaker near-term installation growth, investment remains strong. Europe took €34 billion in final investment decisions for new wind farms in the first half of 2025, exceeding the total for 2024. This will finance 14 GW of future capacity, including €22 billion for six offshore projects, three of them in Poland.
Wind turbine orders are also increasing. In the first half of 2025, manufacturers received 11.3 GW of firm orders, up 19% year on year, comprising 8.8 GW onshore and 2.5 GW offshore.
