Ownership of wind power assets is becoming more fragmented with an increasing number of smaller entities taking control of projects, according to a survey by Make Consulting.
The report – Global Wind Power Asset Ownership 2016 – said the top 25 global wind asset owners owned 170GW of grid-connected capacity at the end of 2015, comprising 41% of global cumulative capacity.
This is a decline from 42% in 2014 and 47% in 2012, as “global ownership continues to become more fragmented due to smaller owners outside of the top 25”, the consultancy said.
The group of leading wind power asset owners globally lost market share in 2015 despite adding capacity overall, the report said.
Smaller owners continue to acquire existing assets and capture an increasing share of new growth, particularly in Europe, Middle East and Africa and Asia-Pacific, it added.
Make said Europe’s biggest owners continue to face a challenging market environment, with some firms divesting from Southern Europe to invest in more attractive markets for growth.
In China, the top 15 asset owners in the market set a new record in 2015 with an average capacity addition of more than 1GW, enabling eight owners in China to rise in the global top 25 ranking.
Seven of the top 10 global asset owners are based in China, the report said.
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