http://www.newenergyworldnetwork.com/renewable-energy-news/by-technology/wind/offshore-wind-must-grow-14-fold-to-meet-eu-emissions-targets.html

Global offshore wind capacity will need to be multiplied 14-fold if Europe’s 2020 emissions targets are to be met, according to a representative from power and technology giant General Electric (GE).

Martin Berkenkamp, policy leader for European renewables at GE, said for this to happen more capital would need to flow into the sector.
‘Fourteen times what we have installed today is needed to meet 2020 targets. What it takes to build an offshore wind industry is a lot of month,’ he said while speaking at a wind conference held in London today.
‘All that money does not have to come in one chunk, but it does have to come from somewhere.’
He said for GE the most important aspect of growing the industry and kickstarting investment was to ensure the reliability of technology.
‘We see industralisation as a key driver,’ he said. ‘We have to stop building one off [projects]. They are very expensive and we must now focus on building an offshore wind energy supply chain.
The European Union has committed to a 20 per cent drop in emissions from 1995 by 2020 but at present there is only 3GW of offshore wind installed and connected to the grid.
‘We have got to have a more distributed policy approach to hit the targets,’ Berkenkamp said.
In 2009, GE closed the acquisition of offshore specialist technology developer ScanWind to align its interests and expertise closer to the growing industry.
GE’s 1.5MW turbine is one of the most actively deployed models on the market today.