Europe’s ports need multi-billion dollar boost to support offshore wind drive

European ports will need new infrastructure and considerable investment over the next few years to manage the growth of the region’s offshore wind sector, a new report from industry body WindEurope said.

In its report, published last week, the Brussels-headquarted wind advocate said Europe’s ports would have to invest €6.5bn ($7.9bn) by 2030 in order to support the expansion of offshore wind.

The EU’s goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 necessitates a 25-fold increase in offshore wind. Already, in the next 10 years, the volume of offshore wind in Europe needs to rise from 25 GW to over 110 GW.

The report stressed that Europe can not deliver this without huge investments in port infrastructure, including heavy-loading quaysides, deep berths, supply chain and hydrogen infrastructure.

“Ports are essential for offshore wind. They’re a vital part of the supply and logistics chain that’s needed for the installation, assembly, operation and maintenance of offshore wind farms. We can’t expand offshore without also expanding and upgrading Europe’s port infrastructure,” said Giles Dickson, WindEurope CEO.

WindEurope called upon the European Commission to develop a strategy for the development of port infrastructure and to mobilise financial instruments to support the necessary investments.

It also said that European governments should ensure that ports are reflected in their national recovery strategies.