The worldwide wind capacity reached 296’255 MW by the end of June 2013, out of which 13’980 MW were added in the first six months of 2012.
This increase is significantly less than in the first half of 2012 and 2011, when 16,5 GW respectively 18,4 GW were added. All wind turbines installed worldwide by mid-2013 can generate around 3,5 % of the world’s electricity demand.
The global wind capacity grew by 5% within six months (after 7 % in the same period in 2012 and 9 % in 2011) and by 16,6 % on an annual basis (mid-2013 compared with mid-2012). In comparison, the annual growth rate in 2012 was significantly higher (19 %).
Prof. He Dexin, WWEA President : “The year 2013 is a difficult year for the wind industry worldwide, as the companies have to struggle with a decreasing market size. This situation has already led to decrease in wind turbine prices which will make wind power even more cost competitive. Though we face some challenges currently, we are still confident to the wind power development in the future. As a result, we see bright prospects for this technology which will become even more cost-competitive.”
Stefan Gsänger, WWEA Secretary General : “Wind power has already taken substantial market shares from the fossil and nuclear energy sector in several countries around the world. What we can observe now is an increasing resistance from the fossil and nuclear power sector who are more and more afraid of loosing market shares. However, we are very confident that the benefits of wind power – practically zero emissions, de-centralised economic and social benefits, security of supply and more – will make it very difficult to beat this technology.”
[mappress]
Press release, October 21, 2013