WWEA forecasts that the number of people employed in the wind industry will rise to 670,000 by the end of 2010, and is expected to reach 1 million by 2012. In 2005, 235,000 people were employed in the sector.
Other data revealed in the report confirm the estimates published by other entities. WWEA calculates for example that worldwide accumulated capacity reached 159 GW in 2009, out of which 38 GW were added in 2009. These data differ only marginally from those published by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) of 157.9 GW and 37.5 GW, respectively.
One of the markets where the greatest discrepancies arise is China, which continued its role as the locomotive of the international wind industry, more than doubling the installations for the fourth year in a row. WWEA estimates that 14 GW of new capacity was rolled out throughout China in 2009, very close to the figure of 13.75 GW calculated by the consultancy firm BTM Consult, but 1 GW below the 13 GW estimated by GWEC. Turnover in the sector amounted to €50 billion in 2009, compared to €40 billion in 2008.
The report highlights that only 10 years ago, just 4 GW of wind capacity was installed globally compared to 38 GW today, which is equivalent to an almost ten-fold rise.
Headway made around the world
The US and China have consolidated their positions as leading markets, although other countries registered growth rates of over 100%, says WWEA. These include Mexico, Turkey, Morocco and China itself. The association says that these achievements in areas that were previously lagging behind such as Latin America and Africa are “encouraging”. According to WWEA, the introduction of a feed-in tariff for wind power in South Africa and in the Canadian province of Ontario has also been a key milestone in 2009.
“A total wind capacity of 200 GW will be exceeded within the year 2010,” claims the World Wind Energy Report 2009. “Based on accelerated development and further improved policies, WWEA increases its predictions and sees a global capacity of 1,900 GW as possible by the year 2020”.
WWEA indicates that: “The global financial and economic crisis, all in all, had no negative impact on the general development of the wind sector worldwide. Many governments sent clear signals that they want to accelerate wind deployment in their countries and indicated that investment in wind and other renewable technologies is seen as the answer to the financial as well as to the still ongoing energy crisis”. One exception has been the Spanish government, which for the first time in the Spanish sector’s history, imposed caps on wind capacity, which are considerably below market capacity.
The WWEA report is available here:
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