The continuing economic crisis has created a need for alternative sources of capital for the renewable energy sector, people attending a panel session at the EWEA 2012 Annual Event in Copenhagen heard on Wednesday. Torben Pedersen, of PensionDanmark, also said there are considerable pressures on public finances due to debt issues and on the banking sector and private investors due to the economic crisis .
As a result, Pedersen said, alternative sources of capital like pension funds may help finance large-scale investments in green infrastructure. He told the panel session — Outlook for Project Finance: The Next Three Years — that about €150 billion is needed to advance the offshore wind sector in northern Europe in the next decade.