Europe has capacity to power the world until 2050 through onshore wind

A recent study from the University of Sussex and Aarhus University in Denmark shows that Europe’s land could hold enough wind turbines to power the world until 2050. This can be done if Europe maximises its land use for onshore wind farms which would lead in creation of 100 times more energy being created.

The study has identified every potentially feasible location of onshore wind energy in Europe. If all of the capacity for onshore wind farms in Europe was utilised, the capacity would total 52.2TW of energy which is equivalent to 1MW for every 16 Europeans. It is estimated that over 11 million wind turbines could be installed in over almost five million square kilometres of suitable area which would meet the expected global energy demand in 2050.

The study discovered that the countries with the greatest capacity for these wind farms are Turkey, Russia and Norway. However, large parts of Western Europe were also considered suitable for these wind farms.

Professor of Energy Policy at the University of Sussex, Benjamin Sovacool, 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.

“Obviously, we are not saying that we should install turbines in all the identified sites but the study does show the huge wind power potential right across Europe which needs to be harnessed if we’re to avert a climate catastrophe.”

This study has not only shown that the wind potential in Europe is larger than previously thought, but it allows countries to plan their onshore wind development more effectively and makes it easier for these countries to move to entirely clean, renewable energy.

Why now is the perfect time to start your career in Onshore wind

Unsurprisingly, this potential extreme wind farm growth will naturally come with a plethora of onshore wind jobs and within a variety of locations across Europe. If you are not already familiar with roles within the onshore wind sector, there is a wide variety of career paths you can follow. The most popular job roles within onshore wind projects are as follows:

•       Construction Manager
•      Site Manager
•    Project Manager
•    Commissioning Engineers
•        Project Developers / Planners
•       Wind Energy Engineers

How Quanta can help

Here at Quanta, we have a specialist onshore wind team who recruit for a number of onshore wind projects all over the world. We offer a streamlined, centralised recruitment framework supported by a wealth of in-depth wind knowledge. Our industry insight has helped to create standardised recruitment processes for onshore wind organisations around the world, allowing our clients to focus on completing projects, rather than resourcing.

We currently have a wide range of Onshore wind jobs available, click here to view our latest jobs.