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Offshore wind will be key to the EU’s ambitious plans to double its share of renewables, but challenges including grid connections and supply chain issues may hinder the rapid progress required to achieve this target. Michel Maaskant, Sector Sales Specialist for Offshore Renewables at Aggreko , explores the topic further, and how the sector’s construction and power concerns can be best addressed. Developers are in a race to build enough wind farms to meet the EU’s renewable energy targets, aiming for at least 42.5% of all electricity to come from green sources by 2030. This ambitious goal means doubling the share of renewables within the overall energy mix. ( source ) However, achieving this is challenging, especially for offshore wind farm development. Yet wind energy remains crucial for decarbonising the grid, with capacity needing to increase from 204 GW to 450 GW by the decade’s end. ( source ) The main hurdle to reaching this goal is not in the desire to build, but the build process itself. Many offshore wind projects are stalled due to a lack of grid connections, and as stated by the UNC Institute for the Environment, the supply chain for offshore wind is currently too small and underdeveloped to meet the rapid growth required. ( source ) This is a concern, especially given 2024 reporting from industry analyst Ember showed 11 out of 26 grid plans across Europe were based on outdated national wind and solar targets. ( source ) Taken together, these factors are creating a situation where the grid will lag behind renewable development, potentially leaving more projects in limbo. To address these issues, solutions including ‘acceleration areas’ for frictionless permits and strategic supply partnerships have been proposed to streamline the construction process. While welcome, this solution overlooks the practicalities of wind farm construction, which require the right supply partnerships. For example, strict sustainability requirements mean projects will soon need to report the full scope of their emissions, further emphasising the need for the best possible plant equipment and processes. ( source )