 |
 |
| Annual windpower development 1992-2002 | The size of the global market in US$ |
New markets
Power and pollution
Future expansion
"Wind power is the world's fastest growing energy source" Christopher Flavin, Worldwatch Institute
|
|
| Annual windpower development 1992-2002 | The size of the global market in US$ |
Wind energy is a booming international business. Global sales of wind turbines reached US$ 1.5 billion in 1997. On current growth rates, the value of the market is expected to increase eight times by 2002.
Over the past five years the capacity of wind turbines installed globally has been expanding at an average of 25% each year. From just 2,500 megawatts in 1992 it had jumped to more than 7,500 megawatts by the end of 1997. This is far faster than the growth rates of conventional fuels like gas and nuclear.
Expansion is taking place in new markets all over the world, not just in Europe. In China, a country heavily dependent on dirty coal, wind energy capacity is expected to double this year (1998) to almost 300 megawatts. India already has three times as much. In South America, Brazil is the latest country to join the wind club. In Africa, Morocco is leading the way with a 50 megawatt scheme. After a quiet period, the United States is also expanding again.
In Europe, seven million people now get their electricity from the wind. Nearly every country has some wind turbines.
A major new development is the interest of large industrial companies in wind energy. The US power corporation Enron has already invested heavily in wind, whilst multinational oil company Shell has joined the European Wind Energy Association.
Two parallel pressures are encouraging more wind energy. In industrialised countries the impetus is to reduce global warming. Wind power produces virtually no carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, and is one of the cheapest renewable sources. In South America, Africa and Asia, the most urgent need is to feed basic electricity into rural or isolated areas without any power infrastructure. Wind turbines are ideally suited to this task.
Denmark leads the international market in both wind turbines and back-up expertise. Five of the top ten manufacturers are Danish. In a number of countries the technology is also being transferred by Danish companies to local manufacturers and installers. An estimated 40,000 people are now employed around the world in the wind industry.
Predictions are that wind energy will continue to expand at an impressive rate of over 20% each year. By 2002 it's forecast that worldwide capacity will have almost trebled to 20,000 megawatts[1]. Big increases are expected in Denmark, Germany, Spain, the UK, France, Canada, India, China, Latin America and the United States.
By 2007, according to Danish wind consultant Birger Madsen, wind energy could have doubled again to more than 46,000 megawatts. Growth is expected by then in every continent and market.
[1] * "International Wind Energy Development: World Market Update 1997", BTM Consult, March 1998.