Europe has the capacity to produce more than 100 times the amount of energy it currently produces through onshore windfarms, new analysis from the University of Sussex and Aarhus University has revealed.
Europe has the capacity to produce more than 100 times the amount of energy it currently produces through onshore windfarms, new analysis from the University of Sussex and Aarhus University has revealed.
In an analysis of all suitable sites for onshore wind farms, the new study reveals that Europe has the potential to supply enough energy for the whole world until 2050.
The study reveals that if all of Europe’s capacity for onshore wind farms was realised, the installed nameplate capacity would 52.5 TW - equivalent to 1 MW for every 16 European citizens.
Co-author Benjamin Sovacool, Professor of Energy Policy at the University of Sussex, said: “The study is not a blueprint for development but a guide for policymakers indicating the potential of how much more can be done and where the prime opportunities exist. Our study suggests that the horizon is bright for the onshore wind sector and that European aspirations for a 100% renewable energy grid are within our collective grasp technologically.
Read more at University of Sussex
Image: An onshore wind farm. (Credit: Onshore wind farm image courtesy of Envision Energy.)
