Tinne Van der Straeten, CEO WindEurope
In 2025, European wind power delivered volume and investment: 19 GW of new installed capacity and final investment decisions worth €45.3 billion. For Romania, however, the central question is not just “how much is being built,” but how we can catch up with the European pace, in a context where slow authorization, insufficient grid, difficult financing, and unclear political signals are slowing down onshore projects. In this interview, the CEO of WindEurope explains why capital needs stability and clarity of rules in 2026, what needs to be accelerated at EU level (networks, electrification, implementation of authorisation rules), how wind development is linked to storage, and what steps can reposition Romania and the CEE region on the growth trajectory.
What did the wind industry look like in 2025 (onshore vs. offshore installations) and what are the expectations for 2026? How does the European energy market look in this context?
Europe installed 19 GW of new wind power in 2025. The EU‑27 accounted for 15 GW of this. Onshore wind made up 90% of all new installations. 17.2 GW of new onshore wind marked a record for onshore installations in one year. Meanwhile, only three countries – the UK, Germany, and France – connected new offshore wind turbines to the grid in 2025. We expect to see a strong catch‑up in offshore wind buildout in 2026.
Looking ahead, we expect Europe to install 150 GW of new wind capacity from 2026 to 2030. The EU‑27 will build 110 GW of this. Onshore wind will continue to dominate with around 80% of the additions. Repowering will play an increasingly big role in this, as more and more turbines come close to the end of their operational lifetime.
How has the volume of connection requests and investments evolved? Who are the main investors? What will be the trends in 2026?
Investments held up strongly in 2025. Final Investment Decisions totalled €45.3bn. This will finance 20.9 GW of new wind projects which will be built over the next years. Wind energy projects remain an attractive asset for international investors.
We have started 2026 with optimism. A good 2025 and a breakthrough North Sea Summit in Hamburg with strong commitments from Governments, industry and transmission system operators. But now European leaders are considering to tamper with the rules of the European electricity market and the EU Emission Trading System. That’s the opposite of what we need. Capital flows to clarity. Market interventions create uncertainly. We must not undermine much-needed investments in clean power.
What was the most challenging moment of 2025/ Q1 26, for the wind industry?
The wind industry faced several challenges in 2025 and early 2026. Still, the sector keeps stepping up to make Europe more competitive and secure. Wind energy now saves Europe 100 bcm of fossil fuel imports every year. That means 500 large oil tankers that don’t have to come to Europe any longer.
But the industry needs a stable investment climate to continue this progress. Any new interventions in the electricity market risk slowing down investments and future build‑out. Governments should stick to the current market design and the EU ETS. This is essential to give investors’ confidence.
Three priorities stand out. First, Europe must implement the grids package. Strong grids are the base for the electrification of our economy and for Europe’s competitiveness. Second, we need to speed up electrification. This means de‑risking investments, removing taxes and levies on electricity, and targeting the easy wins such as low‑ and medium‑temperature heat uses. Third, countries must fully apply the EU permitting rules. Germany shows that fast permitting is possible. Europe needs this across the board.
How do investors view storage and hybrid projects? What should governments do to accelerate permitting and grid connection for storage?
Simply put, Governments need to apply the permitting rules that were agreed as part of the renewable energy directive, the rules are good for renewable projects as well as storage. Permitting processes must be streamlined. One-stop shops should be established to centralize and accelerate application handling. Strategic assets such as battery storage, renewable generation, and industrial decarbonisation projects must be fast-tracked.
Co-locating different renewable technologies including batteries is win-win. It optimizes scarce grid capacity, improves efficiency and reduces system integration costs. Grid connection rules should define consistent, supportive requirements for “hybrid” power plants and to encourage their deployment at scale.
What are the main obstacles for onshore wind power in Central and Southeastern Europe (including Romania)? What measures would increase investor confidence?
Across Central and South‑Eastern Europe, the main barriers to rapid renewable and onshore wind development are political uncertainty, slow permitting, weak grid capacity and limited public support. These problems differ by country but have the same effect: long timelines, high risks and low investor confidence.
In Bulgaria, political and economic support is weak. Wind is endorsed on paper but not backed by real measures. Permitting is very slow and complex, with many authorities involved and no binding deadlines. Revenue caps and misconceptions about wind energy add to the uncertainty.
Croatia faces regulatory and grid blockages. The lack of a clear grid connection fee has stopped all new projects above 10 MW. Permitting, auctions and PPAs cannot move forward. Political support is inconsistent and local opposition is rising. Grid infrastructure is outdated and legal rules are unclear.
In Czechia, the biggest risks come from political uncertainty and organised opposition. Elections and divided government positions create doubt. Local referenda can block projects. Grid capacity remains a bottleneck. Permitting and auction reforms are improving the situation, but technical gaps and uneven regional rules still slow development.
Poland struggles with political polarisation and unclear policy direction. Severe permitting rules, long procedures and the restrictive 10H rule limit available land. Grid queues are clogged and curtailment rules lack transparency. Economic uncertainty around auctions and PPAs adds further risk.
Romania shows declining political support for wind. Government attention is shifting to nuclear, gas and hydro. Financing is difficult, grid investment is urgent, and permitting remains complex and unpredictable. This makes new onshore wind projects hard to bring forward.
Moldova is a positive example. It completed its first onshore wind auction in 2025 and is preparing a larger one for 2026. A second‑hand turbine market is active and helps development.
If the war ended tomorrow, both Moldova and Ukraine could move much faster. Moldova is already creating a functioning market with auctions. Ukraine has huge wind potential and strong investor interest. Peace would unlock reconstruction funds, grid rebuilding and major renewable expansion.
How have turbine technology and size evolved in recent years (onshore/offshore) and how has this been reflected in CAPEX/MW?
Almost all wind turbines installed in Europe are produced by European manufacturers. They are built by European OEMs and assembled in Europe, supporting local jobs, industrial capacity, and tax revenues. Imports remain marginal: Chinese turbines represent less than 1% of Europe’s 304 GW of installed wind capacity.
Technology progress has been impressive. Onshore turbine ratings have doubled from around 2.6 MW in 2016 to 5.2 MW in 2025. Offshore turbines have grown even faster, rising from 5 MW in 2016 to more than 10 MW in 2025, with the first 15 MW models now being deployed.
Costs per MW are no longer falling as quickly as they did in the past due to higher material and supply‑chain prices. But the move toward larger turbines has helped maintain project CAPEX at competitive levels, ensuring investors can still deliver efficient projects.
The industry has shown that predictable and consistent project pipelines reduce costs. At the North Sea Summit in Hamburg the wind industry committed to a 30% reduction in Levelised Costs Of Energy (LCOE) in exchange for stable volumes and visibility for manufacturers and developers. Steady annual build-out targets remain critical for keeping costs down and strengthening Europe’s wind supply chain.
