On 4 August, WindEurope reiterated that Europe must significantly expand its port infrastructure and fleet of specialised vessels if it is to meet its offshore wind targets of 84 GW by 2030, more than doubling today’s capacity of 36.6 GW. According to the industry, at least €6.4 billion in additional investments are needed for ports to upgrade quays, deepen berths, expand storage areas, and handle larger installation and service vessels.
Ports are indispensable to the offshore wind supply chain: they provide assembly sites for turbines, staging areas for components, and maintenance bases for long-term operations. Without sufficient capacity, the deployment of offshore wind projects risks delays, higher costs, and increased pressure on logistics chains.
The call comes as the European Commission advances its work on the EU Ports Strategy, expected later this year, which will address how ports can support both the energy transition and Europe’s industrial competitiveness. Financing tools—whether under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), the InvestEU programme, or through a dedicated EU State Aid Framework for Ports—will be essential to bridge the investment gap.
