World's installed wind capacity projected to hit 200 GW by year's end, Global Wind Energy Council says; GWEC forecasts 400 GW by 2014, driven by growth in China, U.S. and Europe

Rachel Carter

HUSUM, Germany , September 23, 2010 (press release) – With around 40 GW of new capacity added this year alone, the world’s installed wind power capacity is expected to reach close to 200 GW by the end of 2010. These were the figures presented by Steve Sawyer, Secretary General of the Global Wind Energy Council, at a press conference during the Husum WindEnergy fair, of which GWEC is the international partner.

“We do expect the US market to be down this year as the low level of orders we saw during the financial crisis work their way through the system. On the other hand, stronger growth in China will make up for this, and the European market is very stable,” said Sawyer. “Overall, wind energy continues to be a growth market, weathering the economic crisis much better than some analysts had predicted.”

In its five -year market outlook, GWEC forecasts that global wind power will double between 2010 and 2014, reaching more than 400 GW. This increase will continue to be driven by growth in China, the US and Europe, but new countries are also entering the global wind map.

“As wind power is becoming more competitive, it is rapidly expanding beyond the traditional markets in North America and Europe. In fact, around half of the growth is now happening in emerging economies and developing countries,” said Sawyer. “We are seeing very encouraging signs from countries in Latin America, including Brazil, Mexico and Chile, as well as Northern and Sub-Saharan Africa.”

A longer term outlook for global wind power growth will be presented by GWEC in October during its China Wind Power 2010 conference in Beijing. This new edition of the ‘Global Wind Energy Outlook 2010’ will present three scenarios for the development of wind energy, showing how 1,000 GW of installed capacity could be operating world-wide by 2020, and as much as 2,300 GW by 2030.

“The success of Husum WindEnergy 2010, the world’s largest wind power trade fair, reflects the globalisation of the wind sector,” said Klaus Rave, GWEC’s Chairman. “With more than 30,000 visitors from over 70 countries, Husum, which is dubbed ‘the birthplace of wind power’, has now truly reached international acclaim and become a fixture in the sector’s calendar.”

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