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54 GW of capacity added as wind power reaches 90 countries – GWEC
Over 54 GW of wind power was installed across the globe in 2016, according to the latest figures from the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).
The organisation’s latest Global Wind Report: Annual Market Update indicates that the wind power market now spans 90 countries, of which nine have more than 10 GW of wind capacity installed, and 29 of which have passed 1 GW. Cumulative wind capacity worldwide grew by 13% in 2016 and now stands at 487 GW. The organisation predicts that total wind energy capacity will pass the 800 GW mark in 2021.
The level of wind power in electricity grids worldwide continues to grow. Denmark’s electricity grid is at near 40% wind penetration, and Uruguay, Portugal and Ireland all have over 20%. In Germany, also a leader in solar power, wind penetration is at 16%.
‘Wind power is now successfully competing with heavily subsidised incumbents across the globe, building new industries, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and leading the way towards a clean energy future,’ said GWEC Secretary General Steve Sawyer, commenting on the report.
GWEC predicts that there will be 60 GW of new wind installations worldwide in 2017, and that by 2021 the annual market will be installing around 75 GW a year. New growth will come from the Asian markets, with China continuing to lead but India becoming a big player – with the country setting a new record for installations last year.
In 2016 China added 23 GW of new wind power, meaning the country now has 169 GW of wind capacity. The country has led the market for the past eight years, says GWEC, and its annual installations account for around 42% of the global market. China was also the third best performing country in terms of offshore wind installations, behind the UK and Germany, installing 592 MW last year.
Offshore wind has seen record low bid prices set for new developments in European markets including three farms off the coast of Germany that are effectively planned without government subsidy (see Energy World May 2017). ‘Offshore wind has had a major price breakthrough in the past year, and looks set to live up to the enormous potential that many have believed in for years,’ said Sawyer. ‘We see the technology continuing to improve and spread beyond its home base in Europe in the next five to ten years.’
