Silicones in wind energy, an interview with WindEurope
As the EU races to meet its clean energy targets, wind power is a key element of this transition. Wind farms across Europe generated 437 TWh of electricity in 2021 alone, covering 15% of electricity demand across the EU and the UK. With existing capacity set to grow rapidly in the years ahead, the technology supporting wind energy matters more than ever.
From the wind turbine blades to the cables carrying electricity into our homes, silicone materials play a valuable role in the wind energy value chain. Advanced silicone-based adhesives help bond and protect components of wind turbine rotor blades, contributing to longer service lives and reduced maintenance costs. Silicone lubricants help minimise friction in certain turbine components, improving energy efficiency, and reducing deterioration.
Once electricity leaves the turbine, silicones continue to play a role. In transmission and distribution grids, silicone materials provide weather resistance in lightweight, high-voltage insulators and cable components.
To better understand the energy transition demands of Europe’s electricity infrastructure, we spoke with Vasiliki Klonari, Director of Energy Systems Integration at WindEurope, the voice of the wind energy sector.
What are your key expectations from the European Commission’s upcoming Grids Package?
For decades, the EU has underinvested in its electricity grid infrastructure, leaving a network that cannot support its renewable energy targets or the accelerated electrification of final demand. Grid planning has been insufficiently forward-looking, system operators have lacked incentives and accountability to commit to a specific deployment pace, and coordination across national, cross-border, transmission and distribution levels has been poor. We expect the European Grids Package to be a game changer. It should bring all relevant stakeholders, including supply chains, behind a single scenario driven by renewables and electrification.
What trends in electricity demand and generation will shape grid development over the next decade?
Europe now has 304 GW of installed wind power capacity: 265 GW onshore and 39 GW offshore. We expect this to reach 439 GW in 2030. On the demand side, we expect electricity’s share of final energy consumption to rise from 23% today to 32% in 2030 and 51% by 2040. We hope the Electrification Action Plan, to be announced by the European Commission in July 2026, will enable this major shift away from fossil fuels towards homegrown renewable electricity. This is crucial for Europe’s economic security and independence.
How can closer collaboration between electricity providers, policymakers and the materials industry accelerate the transition to smarter, more resilient grids?
Shifting towards a forward-looking approach to grid planning and committing to a central scenario driven by renewables and electrification, with all key stakeholders and relevant supply chains at the table, will be key. It will accelerate the deployment of electricity infrastructure and reduce Europe’s energy dependencies.
What message would you like to share about the importance of grids in Europe’s clean energy transition?
An energy system driven by accelerated electrification and renewables will save Europeans €1.6 trillion by 2050 compared to a slow energy transition scenario, even when including the total costs to build and operate the necessary grids, storage and back-up power. It will also reduce Europe’s dependence on imported fuels to 22% by 2050, compared to 60% in a slow transition scenario.
Building resilience with silicones
As electrification increases across transport, industry and beyond, the reliability of that infrastructure becomes even more critical. Fewer outages, longer-lasting components, and reduced maintenance needs are key markers of a resilient clean energy transition. The scale of Europe’s energy ambition is clear, and delivering on it will require not just political will, but the right materials at every stage.