9 May 2017
Financing and investment trends 2016
© Senvion
In 2016 wind was the largest destination for power sector investments in 2016. A total of €43bn were raised for the construction of new wind farms, refinancing operations, project acquisitions, and public market fundraising – up 22% from €35bn in 2015.
New asset financing for wind power projects reached €27.6bn in 2016 with a record breaking €18.2bn in offshore wind. Onshore wind investments dropped by 5% to €9.4bn, the first decrease in five years. The UK was the biggest market in 2016 with €12.7bn raised for new onshore and offshore projects, Germany came second with €5.3bn.
During the first quarter of 2017, €1.8bn were invested in Europe in new projects, projects under construction and those in operation. Lower investment volumes are expected in 2017 with the transition to tenders slowing down the activity in major wind energy markets. While the first auctions are being set up and run, there will be a lull in investments before they lead to new project FIDs.
