DC Grids : Motivation, Feasibility and Outstanding Issues : Status Report for the European Commission Deliverable : D5.4

Wind energy is already a mainstay of clean power generation in Europe, with over 100GW of capacity installed so far, and another 120GW anticipated by 2020 according to various analysts. Much of this capacity is expected to be installed offshore, as it is a windier and the source is steadier compared to onshore wind energy. Hence, offshore wind has been envisaged as making a critical contribution to Europe’s demand for electrical energy and to minimising the carbon emissions associated with meeting that demand.