(July 24, 2015) EU’s
grid connected cumulative capacity in 2014 reached 129 GW, meeting 8% of
European electricity demand, equivalent to the combined annual consumption of
Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece and Ireland. According to a JRC report, the
impressive growth of the industry will allow at least 12% electricity share by
2020, a significant contribution to the goal of the European energy and climate
package of 20% share of energy from renewable sources.
The 2014 JRC wind status report presents the technology,
market and economics of the wind energy sector with a focus on the EU. Wind
power is the renewable energy which has seen the widest and most successful deployment
over the last two decades, increasing the global cumulative capacity from 3 GW
to 370 GW. Last year represented an annual record with 52.8 GW of wind turbines
capacity installed worldwide, a 48% increase compared to 2013 and 17% over the
2012 record of 45.2GW.
With 23.2 GW of new installations and a market share of 44%,
China is well ahead of EU’s member states which together installed 13.05 GW.
The EU however still leads in cumulative capacity and its 129 GW onshore and
offshore wind installations, allowed six countries – Denmark, Portugal,
Ireland, Spain, Romania and Germany – to generate between 10 and 40 % of their
electricity from wind.