Global wind power in 2016
saw a 12.6 percent increase and reached a record 486.7 gigawatts (GW),
according to Global Wind Energy Council's (GWEC) report late on Tuesday.
"In 2016, 54.6 GW of
installation globally was achieved for the first time in a single year in
2016," the report said adding that in 2016, a 12.6 percent increase in
installation was made.
According to the Global
Wind Council's Annual Market Update Report 2016, China led the way with 23.3 GW
of new installed capacity. The country now has more than 168 GW of wind power
installed, more than the entire European Union members' wind capacity.
China's success was helped
by investments in renewables, which in a single year in 2015 and 2016 was over
$100 billion - another record for being the first country to have renewable
investments at this level.
"Elsewhere in Asia,
India is the main story, which has now surpassed Brazil to move into fourth
place in the global cumulative installations ranking, and had the fifth largest
market last year," the report says.
Europe had a surprisingly
good year with Germany’s record-setting 5.4 GW of installations, bolstered by
more than 2 GW of offshore wind; and the U.S. market had a remarkable fourth
quarter, ending the year with an 8.2 GW market, much higher than most had
expected.
In the future, Asia will
continue to lead, and Europe will move steadily towards its 2020 targets,
although there may be some bumps in the road, the report said.
By the end of 2015,
installation of wind power globally to date reached 486.7 GW.
- Turkey sets new record
The European Union
installed 12.5 GW of gross additional wind capacity in 2016, the report showed.
According to the report,
this was 3 percent less than the new installations in 2015, although the total
European market was marginally larger in 2016.
With a total installed
capacity of 153.7 GW, wind power has overtaken coal as the second largest form
of power generation capacity in the EU, the report said.
The report also indicates
that Turkey, with around 1.4 gigawatts of additional installed capacity, also
broke its record for annual new installations.
Beyond the EU member
states, Turkey is the largest market, crossing the 6 GW mark in terms of total
installed capacity.
"Looking ahead,
Turkey’s wind sector looks promising," the report concluded.
(Anadolu Agency
)