In order to enhance Europe’s competitiveness, maintain technological leadership of Europe, fight climate change and improve energy security, the European wind industry – together with the European Commission and Member States – has launched a ten year research and development programme, known as the European Wind Initiative (EWI).

The programme is a part of the SET-Plan (Strategic Energy Technology Plan), published by the European Commission in November 2007, which aims to increase, coordinate, and focus EU support on key low-carbon energy technologies, such as wind power, and make them affordable and competitive. The SET-Plan is targeted at limiting climate change to a global temperature rise of no more than 2^oC by reducing EU greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2050.

The envisaged budget for the EWI has been estimated at €600 million a year (totaling €6 billion by 2020). More than a half of this funds will be provided by the wind industry.

The strategic objectives of the European Wind Initiative are:

• To maintain Europe’s technology leadership in both onshore and offshore wind;
• To make onshore wind the most competitive energy source by 2020, with offshore following by 2030;
• To enable wind energy to supply 20% of Europe’s electricity in 2020, 33% in 2030, and 50% in 2050.

To achieve these objectives, the European Wind Initiative focuses on the following  technology areas: new turbines and components, offshore technology, grid integration, resource assessment and spatial planning.

Key activities in wind energy research are:

• Improving the design and layout of wind farms;
• Increasing reliability, accessibility and efficiency of wind turbines;
• Optimising the maintenance, assembly and installation of offshore turbines and their substructures;
• Demonstrating large wind turbine prototypes, including turbines rated 10-20 MW and large, interconnected offshore wind farms;
• New methods of grid management to allow high levels of wind power in the electricity system;
• Development of spatial planning standards at EU level.

The implementation of EWI will pave the way for the large-scale deployment of wind energy worldwide, and secure long-term European technological and market leadership by taking the European wind industry to the next stage. The European Commission has highlighted that “more than 250,000 skilled jobs could be created”  in the wind industry as a result.

Source: EWEA

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