EWEA - New wind power capacity has by far exceeded new nuclear power capacity

According to the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), 38.3 GW of wind farm capacity was installed globally during 2010, reaching a total of 197 GW by the end of the year.

The global annual market for wind turbines decreased by 1.3% in 2010, following growth of 46% in 2009, 37% in 2008 and 31% in 2007. Over the past five years, the annual market for wind turbines has grown by 151% from 15.2 GW in 2006 to 38.3 GW in 2010. The total installed wind farm capacity increased from 74 GW to 197 GW over the same period.

Around the world, wind energy continues to expand rapidly, and follows a similar development path to other power sources that are now mainstream.

Looking at the last decade, global new wind power capacity has by far exceeded new nuclear power capacity. The world installed almost 50% more new wind power capacity in 2010 alone (38.3 GW) than it installed new nuclear capacity in the last decade (26.1 GW).

In the past five years – from 2006 to 2010 – 139 GW of new wind power capacity was built globally compared to 8 GW of new nuclear capacity. 139 GW of new wind power capacity produces electricity equivalent to 52 nuclear power reactors, or 41.5 GW of nuclear capacity.

The wind power capacity installed globally in 2009 and 2010 (77 GW), produces electricity equivalent to 29 nuclear power plants. Therefore, in electricity production terms, the wind power industry installed the equivalent of 1.2 nuclear power plants per month over the past two years.

For more information, please copy and paste the following link:
www.ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_documents/documents/publications/reports/Pure_Power_III.pdf