Total global wind energy capacity is expected to top 500GW by the end of the year, according to the World Wind Energy Association (WWEA).
The figure stood at almost 456.5GW by the end of June 2016, meeting about 4.7% of the world’s electricity demand, WWEA said.
Some 21.7GW of new capacity was added in the first six months of the year, similar to the 21.6GW that were added in the first half of 2015, WWEA said.
Capacity growth in the first six months of 2016 was 5%, compared with 5.8% in the same period last year.
The WWEA said it expects 40GW to be added in the second half of 2016.
WWEA secretary general Stefan Gsänger said: “Wind power shows robust growth also in the year 2016, and the good news is especially that we can see strong markets now also in Latin America and in Africa.
“A major reason of concern is, however, the global trend towards auctions which is endangering the driving role of small and medium sized players.
“It has already slowed down most of the European markets, so that Europe has already lost its long-term leadership to Asia.”
Image: reNEWS
