Global Wind Energy Council data shows growth rate for new wind capacity slowed slightly last year, despite uptick in offshore projects
The global growth rate for wind energy capacity experienced a slight slow down in 2018 as 51.3GW of new projects came online, the latest Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) data released today shows.
The data suggests wind energy capacity additions have remained relatively stable since 2014, with at least 50GW of new capacity worldwide each year, but 2018 nevertheless saw the growth rate slow by 3.6 per cent compared to the previous year.
The overall decline was marked by a 3.9 per cent drop in the global onshore wind market last year, where 46.8GW of new capacity was added in total, the figures show. However, the slow down was partially offset by a modest uptick in new offshore wind capacity with China leading the way.
The update follows European wind energy market figures from WindEurope last week which also showed a slow down in capacity growth last year, prompting calls for more ambition and support for the sector from EU policymakers and investors.
There were, however, some bright spots for the onshore wind sector in developing regions such as Latin America, South East Asia, and Africa, which GWEC said were together responsible for 10 per cent of total new onshore installations worldwide in 2018.
Meanwhile, new installations of 4.49GW saw the global offshore wind market grow by 0.5 per cent in 2018, the data shows.
And for the first time, China took the lead in the offshore sector last year, installing more offshore capacity than any other market at 1.8GW, closely followed by the UK's 1.3GW of new capacity and Germany's 0.9GW.
As a result, GWEC's director of market intelligence, Karin Ohlenforst, said the growing offshore wind sector was on course to become an increasingly global market in the coming years, forecasting that Asia in particular has the potential to add 5GW or more each year if policies, committed projects, and investments continue on their current path.
In the US, too, the developing offshore wind market could reach 1GW by 2022-23, she added.
"In particular, the offshore market will grow on a global scale and will reach up to 7GW to 8GW of new capacity during 2022 and 2023," explained Ohlenforst.
Despite last year's slow down the industry remain falling costs will result in strong growth over the coming years.
GWEC expects new installations worldwide for offshore and onshore wind combined to reach 55GW each year until 2023, bolstered by stable demand from mature regions in Europe and the US alongside significant growth in South East Asia and the global offshore market.
Overall, total installed global wind capacity to date reached 591GW at the end of 2018, the figures show.
Ben Backwell, CEO of GWEC, said 2018 was overall "a positive year" for wind energy in all major markets, with China in driving solid offshore and onshore wind growth.
"We expect huge growth in Asia through the coming decade and beyond as part of the continuing shift from Europe to Asia as the driving region for wind development," he said. "However, government support and policy are key to enabling faster market growth in key regions such as South East Asia."