Wind turbines generate more than 1 % of the global electricity.

Wind energy is used in more than 70 countries – USA, Spain and China take the worldwide lead.

Bonn/Toronto (WWEA) – In the year 2007, 19.696 MW of new wind energy capacity were added summing up to a global installed capacity of 93.849 MW by the end of December 2007. The added capacity equals a growth rate of 26,6 %, after 25,6 % in 2006. The currently installed wind power capacity generates 200 TWh per year, equalling 1,3 % of the global electricity consumption – in some countries and regions, wind energy already contributes 40 % and more. The wind industry employs today 350.000 people worldwide, after 300.000 employees in the year 2006.
Based on the accelerated development, WWEA has increased its prediction for 2010 and expects now 170.000 MW to be installed by the end of the year 2010. However, in the majority of the top 40 wind markets the increase in the deployment of wind energy slowed down in the year 2007.

Dr Anil Kane, President of the World Wind Energy Association: “The year 2007, all in all, was a very successful year for the wind industry worldwide. However, there are several developments that make us feel concerned: 20 out of the top 40 markets have decreased the volume of additional capacity and only 18 countries have been able to increase their size. Another concern is that most of the developing countries are far behind the development of the leading wind energy countries. With today the emerging countries India and China amongst the top five wind markets, there should be sufficient motivation for the governments as well as for international donor organisations to launch effective and substantial international deployment programmes. We need a stronger support for investment in renewable energies like wind especially in the developing countries in order to ensure a truly sustainable development.”

Compared with the year 2006 when 15.120 MW were added, the year 2007 brought another new record in new installations. Mainly the booming wind markets in the USA (5.216 MW of new capacity), Spain (3.515 MW) and China (3.313 MW) contributed to this record. China with a growth rate of 127,5 % showed the greatest performance of the top five wind countries. Germany defended clearly its position as number one country n terms of overall capacity with 22.274 MW installed. With additional capacity of 1.625 MW, Germany as well as India (1.580 MW added) kept their positions as leading markets, however, both countries clearly decreased in new installations. Only two countries (after five in the year 2006) added between 500 MW and 1.000 MW and showed strong growth rates: France (888 MW, 56,7 % growth) and Italy (603 MW, 28,4 %). The most dynamic market in 2007 was Turkey adding 142 MW up to a total of 207 MW which equals a growth rate of more than 200 %.

The market for new wind turbines reached an overall size of 19.696 MW, after 15.120 MW in the year 2006 (30 % increase). In the last ten years, between the years 1998 and 2007, even an almost tenfold increase can be watched.

Based on the very dynamic development of the past years, WWEA has again lifted its prediction for the year 2010 from 160.000 MW up to 170.000 MW.

In terms of c o n t i n e n t a l distribution, Europe decreased its share in installed capacity from 65,5 % in 2006 to 61 % in the year 2007. However, Europe is still the strongest continent whilst North America and Asia are increasing rapidly their shares. In terms of new, additional capacity, Europe for the first time installed less than half of the new global capacity and counted for 43,6 %, followed by North America (28,5 %) and Asia (26,6 %).

The developing countries in Latin America and Africa counted for only 0,4 % respectively 0,6 % of the total capacity and Latin America fell back in terms of new installations down to only 0,2 % of the additional capacity installed worldwide in the year 2007.

An important indicator for the vitality of the wind markets is the growth rates in relation to the installed capacity of the previous year. After a decrease in the average worldwide growth rates between 1999 and 2004, the growth rate went up steadily since the year 2004, reaching 26,6 % in 2007, after 25,6 % in the year 2006 and 23,8 % in 2005. However, this increase in the average growth rate is only due to the fact that the biggest markets USA, Spain and China showed growth rates above the average. Also France showed a very strong performance with 888 MW added, equalling a growth rate of 57 % in comparison with the previous year.