A comprehensive research and development programme has been launched this week by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), in an effort to bring costs down to those of conventional electricity generation and continue technological progress in the industry. Other priority areas in the programme include offshore wind technology, environmental and social impacts, and economic, policy and market issues.

“Europe is the world leader in wind power and European wind turbine companies have a 90% world market share,” said Prof. Arthouros Zervos, President of EWEA. “R& D has been central to the wind industry’s success to date. The European industry’s future ability to maintain its global dominance in this sector depends on maintaining its R&D leadership, with the potential prize of an annual wind market of €75 billion by 2020. There is still much need to support long-term R&D in wind energy development, not least to develop new offshore technology,”

The European Commissioner for Research, Philippe Busquin added; “Wind power is a prime example of how an ambitious European R&D effort, supported by the European Union for more than 20 years, can give Europe a very strong leadership in a promising high-technology market, creating already more than 85,000 jobs in the Union.”