Global wind capacity up by nearly 20% in 2019

Global wind power capacity grew by almost 20% in 2019 after a year of unprecedented growth for offshore windfarms as well as onshore projects in China and the US. The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) found that wind power had grown by 60.4 GW, around 19%, compared with 2018, in what turned out to be one of the global wind power industry's strongest year ever.

The growth was powered by a record year for offshore wind, which grew by 6.1GW to make up a tenth of new windfarm installations for the first time.

The Council's annual report found that the world's largest markets for onshore wind power development remain China and the US. Combined the two countries account for nearly two-thirds of global wind power growth.

GWEC had expected 2020 to emerge as a record year for the rollout of wind energy projects, and forecast growth of 20% in the year ahead, but it said the impact of the global coronavirus pandemic was as yet unknown.

The outbreak of Covid-19 will most likely slow down the construction of energy projects in line with the economy-wide slowdown in manufacturing. Nonetheless, GWEC believes that the outbreak could present the wind industry with an opportunity.

The Council has said that the outbreak could prove to be an economic turning point, and urged governments to use the burgeoning industry to help galvanise economic recovery.

GWEC's call echoes that of Dr Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency, who said that Covid-19 could undermine progress in development of clean energy unless governments use green investments to support economic growth. 

“We have an important window of opportunity,” Birol said. “Major economies around the world are preparing stimulus packages. A well-designed stimulus package could offer economic benefits and facilitate a turnover of energy capital which have huge benefits for the clean energy transition.”

Chief Executive of GWEC, Ben Backwell, said that global clean energy growth is not where it needs to be to keep global temperatures in check in line with the Paris Agreement.

“If we are to have any chance at reaching our Paris agreement objectives and remaining on a 1.5C pathway, we need to be installing at least 100GW of wind energy per year, and this needs to rise to 200GW per year and beyond,” said Backwell.

The Council had expected that global wind power installations would rise by 76GW this year but will offer a new forecast in the second quarter of the year that takes into account the impact of the coronavirus.

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