New World Record in Wind Power Capacity: 14,9 GW added in 2006 - Worldwide Capacity at 73,9 GW

Bonn/Buenos Aires/Cape Town/Melbourne/New Delhi (WWEA) - Wind energy continued its dynamic growth worldwide in the year 2006. 14.900 MW were added in the past year summing up to a global installed capacity of 73.904 MW by the end of December 2006. The added capacity equals a growth rate of 25 %, after 24 % in 2005. The currently installed wind power capacity generates more than 1 % of the global electricity consumption. Based on the accelerated development, WWEA has increased its prediction for 2010 and expects now 160.000 MW to be installed by the end of 2010.

Five countries added more than 1000 MW: the United States of America (2.454 MW), Germany (2.194 MW), India (1.840 MW) and Spain (1.587 MW) were able to secure their leading market positions and China (1.145 MW) joint the group of the now top five markets and is now number five in terms of added capacity, showing a market growth of 91 %. Five countries added more than 500 MW and showed excellent growth rates: France (810 MW, 107 % growth), Canada (768 MW, 112 %), Portugal (628 MW, 61 %) and the United Kingdom (610 MW, 45 %). The most dynamic market in 2006, Brazil, faced its long expected take off and added 208 MW which equals a sevenfold increase of installed capacity within one year.

Dr Anil Kane, President of the World Wind Energy Association: "The wind industry worldwide has achieved another great success in 2006. Between 1997 and 2006, within only ten years, we have seen a tenfold increase in installed capacity worldwide. Wind energy technology continues to be the most dynamic energy source and wind is clearly emerging as the currently most promising solution to replace the most undesirable fossil fuel based electrical energy. However, next to still existing political and administrative constraints, one major limiting factor is today the need for additional wind turbine manufacturing capacities. Governments as well as international organisations have to provide the reliable long-term frameworks so that investment in this key sector can continue to grow."

The Hon Peter Rae AO, WWEA Senior Vice President and Chairman of the International Renewable Energy Alliance: "The year 2006 demonstrated once again that wind does contribute substantially and increasingly to the global energy supply. Having in mind the promising growth rates of the other renewable technologies, political and business decision makers have to focus now on the synergies of the symphony of all the renewables. The Stern review which was published last year as well as the forthcoming IPCC report emphasize the urgency of rapid action to increase manufacture and deployment of all the renewable technologies."

Prof. Erico Spinadel, WWEA Vice President and President of the Argentine Wind Energy Association: "For the benefit of the future generations, it is now time to take care of those countries, especially in the developing world, where wind energy does not yet play a major role in the energy supply. Wind technologies need to be made available to harvest the great potentials - the encouraging news from Brazil indicate that the change has already started. The World Wind Energy Conference 2007 in Argentina will take this up and send put a strong signal especially to the Latin American region."

Hermann Oelsner, WWEA Vice President and President of the African Wind Energy Association: "The worldwide wind boom is a ray of hope also for many African countries which suffer from a tremendous lack of accessible and affordable energy. Governments and especially international finance institutions need now to make sure that also the people in Africa can participate in this overall successful global development. We are confident that several major wind farms will be installed in the near future, especially in Southern Africa, where the current shortage of electricity can only be covered by renewable energies - which in most of these countries are the only domestic energy sources."