Europe adds 8.8 GW wind capacity in first half, WindEurope says

By Danny Callaghan

Sept 1 (Reuters) - Europe added nearly a third more wind energy capacity in the first of 2026 than during the same period last year, driven by installations in Germany and increasing offshore connections, industry group WindEurope said on Tuesday.

Wind capacity in Europe has doubled over the past decade as governments expanded renewable energy generation. Last year, wind and solar produced more electricity in the European Union than fossil fuels for the first time.

• Europe, which counts the EU and 13 other countries including the UK, Turkey and Ukraine, added 8.8 gigawatts (GW) of wind capacity in the first-half.

• Germany installed 39% of new capacity across the continent as total wind capacity in Europe reached 311 GW by the end of June.

• Offshore connections lifted to 2.1 GW in the January-June period, tripling last year's additions in the same period.

• "Government decisions on permitting, auctions, grids and electrification in the coming months will make or break this momentum," WindEurope CEO Tinne Van der Straeten said in a statement.

(Reporting by Danny Callaghan; Editing by Matt Scuffham)