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Europeans installed 308 new offshore wind turbines installed in 2010 - an increase of 51 percent in installed wind power capacity on the previous year and a new record, reported RenewablesBiz.com.

In total, 883 MW of new capacity, worth some EUR 2.6 billion, were installed in 2010 in nine wind farms in five countries, making a total of 2964 MW, according to the European Wind Energy Association.

What's worth noting is that the European model of large sites far from shore may be a feature of coming installations in North America. That was the word from William Moore, the CEO of Deepwater Wind, which is developing a 1000 MW project off Rhode Island.

As the Europeans gain more experience developing and operating offshore wind, costs have come down. Improved technology and greater generation potential from larger turbines is another factor, Moore said.

"It's only become clear in the last few months that several of the European turbine makers are willing to sell 5- to 6 MW turbines into the U.S. market. Until then, we were looking at the medium-sized turbine in the 3-megawatt range," Moore said.

Meanwhile, in Europe, EWEA sais the figures show the United Kingdom to be European (and world) leader, with a total installed offshore wind capacity of 1341 MW. The UK is followed by Denmark (854) The Netherlands (249), Belgium (195), Sweden (164), Germany (92), Ireland (25), Finland (26) and Norway with 2.3 megawatts.

EWEA's Chief Executive, Christian Kjaer said: "With over 50 percent percent market growth, 2010 sets a new record for European offshore wind energy. Meanwhile, the 29 new offshore turbine models announced during 2010 show a growing commitment to the offshore wind energy sector by large, global industrial players, offering a real boost for Europe's economy, its efforts to tackle climate change, create green jobs and exports while reducing our dependence on imported fuel."