China has overtaken the EU in installed wind energy capacity over the
course of 2015, warned the European Wind Energy Association on
Wednesday, February 10.
China installed three times the wind power installed by the EU to
reach 145 GW total capacity compared to the EU’s 142 GW, the advocacy
group warned.
The wind energy advocacy group warned that a long term strategy was
required for Europe to continue to lead the technological renewables
race. Giles Dickson, Chief Executive Officer of the European Wind Energy
Association (EWEA), was more worried of the policy commitment to
renewables this trend indicates.
“China’s ambition on wind now far exceeds Europe’s. Other emerging
economies have also made big long term commitments. But today only 6 out
of 28 EU Member States have clear commitments and policies for
renewables beyond 2020. This has major industrial policy implications.
Today Europe’s wind industry has a 40% share of the global wind market
and the best technology. But to stay cost-competitive we need a strong
domestic market. Otherwise it’ll be China and others that capture the
rapidly growing global market – and eventually outperform us in Europe,”
Giles said.
Although the European Council agreed on a 27% share of renewables in
the EU energy mix by 2030, this does not specify the share of wind
energy. The December 2015 COP21 commitment in Paris potentially
emboldens this commitment and the agreement incentivizes public and
private stakeholders to invest in the industry. The European
Commission’s post-2020 Renewable Energy Directive will in this sense set
the pace and frame the direction of the industry.
The wind energy industry is joining other renewables energy advocates
to ask for stringent monitoring of the action plan, a stable and
effectively predictable regulatory environment, and the optimization of
cross-border markets, which crucial for suppliers that cannot produce on
demand.
Key for emerging energy technologies, including wind power, is the so-called point of grid parity. “Grid parity”
describes the point in time at which a technology produces electricity
for the same cost to ratepayers as traditional technologies. Many
national grids have been burdened with exorbitant premium charges on
electricity production, as government sought to boost national
production thereby creating jobs and boosting investment. But, the lower
cost of fossil fuel energy over the last year is putting unprecedented
pressure on renewable energy industries.
According to market specialists, solar energy leads the race towards
grid parity, ahead on wind, in markets such as the U.S, Germany, Spain,
and Italy. The Pöyry multinational consultancy group projected in 2014
that most large-scale wind and solar deployment in Europe will require
subsidies for 20 years before it reaches grid parity. To make renewables
more attractive, some policy advisors are suggesting tax breaks that
will affect bills charged to households. Wholesale prices are affected
by a variety of factors that can be affected by long term policy.
http://neurope.eu/article/eu-loses-wind-energy-lead-over-china/