Wind power could reach more than 2.1TW by 2030, supplying up to 20% of global electricity, according to a new report by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).
The report – Global Wind Energy Outlook – released today said that what is needed to meet wind energy’s potential is the “political will to put together the programs and policies”.
It noted that a total of 433GW of wind power was installed at the end of 2015, accounting for about 7% of global power generation.
Some 1.1m people were employed in the wind industry at the end of last year and this could rise to 2.4m by 2030, the report said.
China accounted for 145GW of installed capacity at the end of 2015, while across Europe a total of 147.7GW was installed.
By 2030, China’s wind capacity could rise to 666.5GW, followed by the US with almost 414GW, Europe with close to 399GW and India more than 163GW, the GWEC said.
Total offshore capacity reached 12GW by the start of the year, with 3.4GW added in 2015, the report said.
It added that almost €110bn was invested in wind last year, with more than half – €67bn – in developing and emerging economies.
GWEC secretary general Steve Sawyer said: “Wind power is the most competitive option for adding new capacity to the grid in a growing number of markets.
“But if the Paris agreement targets are to be reached, that means closing fossil fuel fired power plants and replacing them with wind, solar, hydro, geothermal and biomass.
“That will be the hard part, and governments will have to get serious about it if they are to live up to the commitments to which they have now bound themselves.”
Image: sxc
