The European Union has passed 100 GW of installed wind power capacity, according to figures compiled by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA). It took the European wind energy sector twenty years to get the first 10 GW grid connected but in only 13 years it has added another 90 GW. And half of the total wind power capacity has been installed over the past six years.
In terms purely of availability and capacity, 100 GW of wind power can generate electrical energy in a year the equivalent of the power production of 39 typical nuclear power plants or 62 coal fired plants.
CEO of EWEA, Christian Kjaer, said: "It would require burning 72m tonnes of coal annually in coal fired power plants to match Europe's annual wind energy production. Despite only utilising a tiny fraction of Europe's vast domestic wind energy resources, wind power is having a substantial impact on Europe's energy security and environment, and benefits us hugely in creating green jobs and technology exports".
Recent wind turbine installations contributing to the 100 GW milestone include Anholt's 400 MW offshore wind farm, developed by DONG off the coast of Denmark and Linowo's 48 MW wind farm developed by EDF Energies Nouvelles Polska in Poland.
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