GLOBAL wind power installations increased by 35.8GW (gigawatts) in 2010, according to figures released by the Global Wind Energy Council.
This brings total installed wind energy capacity up to 194.4GW, a 22.5% increase on the 158.7GW installed at the end of 2009. The new capacity added in 2010 represents investments worth $65billion.
Overall, however, the annual 2010 wind market was down for the first time in 20 years, shrinking by 7% from 38.6GW in 2009, mainly due to a disappointing year in the US, as well as a slowdown in Europe. This was a result of the financial crisis, low levels of wind turbine orders working their way through the system, a depressed OECD electricity demand and policy uncertainty in the US.
In Europe, new installed capacity in 2010 (9.9GW) was 7.5% down on 2009 (10.7GW), despite a 50% growth of the offshore market in countries like the UK, Denmark and Belgium, and new developments in eastern Europe, mainly in Romania, Bulgaria and Poland.
“Better access to financing is urgently needed, and the European Union must act without delay to prevent Europe losing its leadership in wind power and other renewable technologies,”
said GWEC’s Christian Kjaer. For the first time in 2010, more than half of all new wind power was added outside of the traditional markets in Europe and North America. This was mainly driven by the continuing boom in China, which accounted for nearly half of all new wind installations (16.5GW).
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