Nordex CEO says Europe must speed up permitting for renewables

Nordex SE

25/02/2026 08:31

By Danny Callaghan

Feb 25 (Reuters) - Many European countries should follow Germany's example in fast permitting of wind projects, Nordex NDXG.DE chief executive Jose Luis Blanco told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday.

Permitting was very difficult in Germany a few years ago, Blanco said, but is now very easy and fast.

Berlin aims to source 80% of Germany's electricity from renewable energy by 2030, a goal accelerated by recent reforms and the drop in Russian fossil fuel imports after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

"If the grid investments and the execution of those grid investments do not happen in a timely manner, then there is no electrification. And there is no capacity addition because the grid is the bottleneck," Blanco said.

He suggested an emergency permitting process for deploying grids that enables the installation of more renewables, which he indicated would help lower costs for consumers and enable European competitiveness.

It would also place Europe's destiny back in its own hands, without relying on imports in a world of geopolitical tensions and trade wars, Blanco said.

 (Reporting by Danny Callaghan, Writing by Bernadette Hogg; Editing by Matt Scuffham)

 ((bernadette.hogg@thomsonreuters.com))