Wind power installations represented Europe’s leading source of new electricity capacity in 2008 according to a new report from the Worldwatch Institute, confirming figures issued earlier in the year by Global Wind Energy Agency, GWEA.
In an analysis of the global wind power industry, the US-based research organisation says that some 8877 MW of new wind capacity was added last year in Europe, which now accounts for 55 per cent of global installed capacity. But in terms of individual countris it was the USA that led in new installations in 2008, overtaking Germany to rank first in cumulative capacity as well as generation from the wind.
The May report says that global wind capacity increased by an estimated 27 051 MW in 2008 to 120 798 MW. With cumulative installations up almost 29 per cent, the growth rate exceeded the annual average of the past decade, according to Worldwatch.
The global market for wind turbine installations in 2008 was worth about $47.5 billion, an increase of approximately 42 per cent over 2007, but is at risk due to project financing difficulties brought about by the global economic crisis. By early 2009, financing for new projects and orders for turbines and components had slowed significantly, says Worldwatch.
Europe now has nearly 66 GW of installed wind capacity – equivalent to eight per cent of installed capacity in the EU or enough to generate 4.2 per cent of the region’s electricity needs in a normal wind year. Germany continues to lead the EU with 1665 MW added in 2008, down slightly from 2007.
Asia now accounts for almost one-third of global wind capacity additions, according to the report, with China and India rising as key markets. Elsewhere, Australia increased its cumulative capacity by 58 per cent last year, while Brazil was the only country in Latin America to add a significant amount of new wind capacity.
Spain now ranks third behind the US and Germany for cumulative wind power capacity with a total of 16 740 MW. Other key markets emerging in Europe include the UK, Italy, Portugal and France, which last year added 836 MW, 1010 MW, 712 MW and 950 MW respectively.
While most of the world’s wind power capacity is onshore, offshore wind farms represent a growing part of the mix, says Worldwatch. The EU is leading the offshore sector, with nine countries in the region now operating offshore wind farms totalling 1486 MW.
More than 30 822 MW of offshore capacity are under construction or in the planning stages in Europe with completion expected by 2015.
Worldwatch’s findings are in line with another recent report from analysts Frost & Sullivan, which says that the share of offshore wind in the industry as a whole will grow in Europe and will be a “more substantial” contributor of electricity generated by wind by 2020.
Frost & Sullivan estimates that installed offshore wind capacity will grow to 18 769 MW by 2015.
In Asia, countries such as China are facing problems aligning grid planning with wind energy development due to the rapid growth of wind power in 2008. China doubled its cumulative wind capacity for the fourth year in a row in that year and has also exceeded its 2010 target of 10 000 MW with an installed capacity of 12 200 MW at the end of the year.
India ranked third in wind capacity additions in 2008, with 1800 MW of new wind added, and is now fifth worldwide for cumulative capacity – after the United States, Germany, Spain, and China – with a total of 9645 MW.
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