Renewable Energy Weekly — 2026-09-27
The big story of the week: Wood Mackenzie analysis shows fuel-replacement and decommissioning demand will drive a substantial share of solar and wind buildout through the 2040s, with over 30 GW of wind already slated for decommissioning globally by end-2026. Spain doubled down on green hydrogen as a "national project" following its National Hydrogen Strategy push, while Ireland's Autumn 2026 Legislation Programme confirms energy as one of the busiest areas on the Oireachtas agenda. Fresh project news roundups this week highlight activity from Ocean Winds, Skyborn, PSE and China Energy Engineering.
Renewable Energy Weekly — 2026-09-27
Top Stories
Decommissioning to Drive 23% of Solar Buildout in the 2040s
- What happened: New Wood Mackenzie analysis reported this week finds that replacement demand — driven by the end-of-life decommissioning of first-generation renewable projects — will lift solar and wind installations through the 2040s. One pathway is full decommissioning of the original project and installation of new modules or turbines on the same site, while retaining associated infrastructure. More than 30 GW of wind capacity is expected to have been decommissioned globally by the end of 2026, with around two-thirds of that capacity taken offline between 2022 and 2026.
- Why it matters: The renewables market is entering a second phase where repowering and replacement — not just new-build greenfield development — becomes a major source of installation volumes. This creates long-term demand visibility for module and turbine suppliers and new revenue lines for developers with aging portfolios.
- Scale: 30+ GW of global wind decommissioning by end-2026; 23% of 2040s solar buildout driven by decommissioning.
Spain Backs Green Hydrogen as a "National Project"
- What happened: Euronews reported on 25 September that Spain is positioning itself to become Europe's green hydrogen leader, leveraging its abundant renewable resources. The country's strategy does, however, face significant hurdles — including cost and infrastructure challenges.
- Why it matters: Spain's renewable-rich grid gives it some of Europe's lowest-cost potential hydrogen production, and a sustained national commitment could attract industrial offtakers and cross-border hydrogen trade investments. Success hinges on solving the demand-side problem that plagues green hydrogen across Europe.
- Scale: National-level government backing across the EU's largest renewable electricity producer.
Offshore Wind and Grid Players Make Moves Across Europe and Asia
- What happened: The latest renewables news roundup included announcements from China Energy Engineering, Ocean Winds, PSE, Skyborn, and InCommodities.
- Why it matters: Continued activity from offshore wind developers and large engineering firms signals ongoing momentum in the sector despite policy uncertainty in some markets. Ocean Winds and Skyborn are both active offshore wind developers in European waters.
- Scale: Multiple developers and markets covered in one week of announcements.
Project Tracker
| Project | Type | Capacity | Location | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global wind fleet (decommissioning) | wind | 30+ GW slated by end-2026 | Global | being decommissioned/repowered | |
| Offshore wind developer announcements (Ocean Winds, Skyborn) | wind | n/a | Europe | announcements |
Note: Limited verified project-milestone data published after 2026-09-25 was available this cycle; this table reflects only confirmed fresh items.
Policy & Regulation
- Ireland: The Government's Autumn 2026 Legislation Programme, published 10 September 2026, confirms energy remains one of the busiest policy areas on the Oireachtas agenda as the Dáil returns from summer recess and sits through to the Christmas break, with the Department of Climate driving the legislative pipeline.
- Germany: ICLG's updated Renewable Energy Laws and Regulations 2027 country guide for Germany — covering the market, consents and permits, and foreign investment — was published this week, providing an up-to-date regulatory reference for investors.
Investment & Finance
No distinct fresh investment or funding deals published after 2026-09-25 were available in this cycle's verified research. Readers are advised that only deals confirmed with citations and dates are reported here.
Technology Spotlight
Spatially Informed Policies Could Accelerate Green Hydrogen Demand
- A study published in Nature Energy finds that realized green hydrogen demand lags behind policy targets but could be accelerated by accounting for spatial spillovers — demand-side interdependencies where adoption by one user encourages further adoption by nearby users. The authors suggest revising EU green hydrogen policies, including Hydrogen Bank mechanisms, to exploit these network effects.
- Why it matters: This offers policymakers a concrete, evidence-based lever: designing hydrogen demand support geographically rather than uniformly could unlock faster economies of scale for electrolyser deployment.
What to Watch Next Week
- EU green hydrogen policy discussions following the Nature Energy findings on spatially targeted demand support — watch for reactions to proposed revisions to Hydrogen Bank design.
- Ireland's progress on the Autumn 2026 energy legislation programme as the Dáil's post-recess session ramps up.
- Further rounds of the global wind repowering cycle, as more first-generation wind farms reach end-of-life decisions ahead of the 30+ GW decommissioning milestone.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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