During the last decade, building wind turbines in the sea was glimpsed as a decisive change for the energy transition in Europe. In the middle of the sea, where the wind blows more strongly and constancy, the promise was to guarantee more clean and competitive large -scale electricity. However, that hope is getting rid under a storm of uncertainty.
The crisis in the old continent. The great European bet for marine wind has encountered an uncomfortable reality: the auctions begin to get empty. In Germany, two areas of the North Sea with 2.5 GW capacity They did not arouse interest. Denmark offered 3 GW And neither were there biders. And in the United Kingdom, the fifth round of contracts per difference (CFD) failed because the maximum price set did not cover construction costs In a context of inflation.
From Windeurope, The European wind employer cited by the SpanishThey have warned that marine wind remains cheaper than new coal or nuclear plants, but they have denounced that regulatory insecurity and current auction design are suffocating the investment appetite. As a possible solution, the organization claims to extend contracts by bilateral difference, which would give income stability and reduce financing.
A common factor: Trump. On the other side of the puddle, the setbacks have their own name: Donald Trump. According to an extensive report by The New York Timesthe Republican Administration has paralyzed three wind projects already approved by the previous government: Revolution Wind in Rhode Island, Empire Wind in New York and Lava Ridge in Idaho. Official justifications allude to vague concerns of “national security”, but legal experts point out that the foundation is “surprisingly weak” and that there are no precedents to stop works with federal permits in order.
Immediate consequences. As The Guardian has detailedthe Ørsted shares, the largest European wind company, fell 17% in a single day after the suspension of Revolution Wind, a project already completed by 80%. Analysts described the measure of “political hostage” and recalled that Trump’s animosity towards wind energy dates back more than a decade, when he tried to stop visible turbines from one of his golf courses in Scotland.
The coup has forced Ørsted to announce a capital extension of 9.4 billion dollars, almost as much as its stock capitalization, According to Financial Times. Political voices in Denmark have even asked that the company reduces its exposure to the United States, where it also maintains development projects.
Reality in front of rhetoric. Meanwhile, the US president intensifies his rhetoric criticizing wind infrastructure on his trips to Europe, According to Euronews. However, the media confronts those statements with data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena): Earth’s wind is the cheapest source of electricity generation, with a useful life of 20 to 25 years, and up to 95% of its materials are recyclable.
The Chinese mirror. In parallel, the best example of what could be the transition is China. The country It has become the first “electrostate” of the world after a decade of strategic planning. It already generates more than a quarter of its electricity with renewables and exports large -scale clean technology, displacing Europe in a field where it was supposed to lead.
The consequences for the future. The result is, As Spanish has summarizeda western crisis rather than global. While Beijing dominates the supply chain and exports renewable technology at competitive prices, the United States and Europe are trapped in unattractive political battles and regulatory frameworks.
The effect is double: project financing is more expensive and investors confidence is eroded. According to NYTeven if companies manage to reverse blockages in court, delays increase costs and sow doubts that can stop new investments.
Staying behind. Beyond the political pulse, the crisis reflects a geopolitical change. How my partner has pointed out in Xatakawe are entering the era of “electrostatics”: countries that build their power not over oil, but about renewable capacity gigawats and the control of critical supply chains. China already occupies that role, while Europe, despite its climatic ambitions, runs the risk of staying halfway.
Marina’s wind promised to be the jewel of the crown in the Western energy transition. Today, however, its future is marked by political blockages, investment insecurity and deserted auctions. While Europe doubts and the United States slows approved projects, China accelerates and consolidates its leadership.
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