15 May 2008
Worldwide wind energy tops 100,000 megawatts for the first time in 2008
Muenster - Wind turbines are producing electricity in more and more countries across the world. This year, the total capacity of all energy-producing wind turbines is going to surpass the 100,000 megawatt (MW) mark for the first time, as the International Economic Platform for Renewable Energies (IWR) announced in Muenster. The amount of electricity produced is going to rise to over 200 billion kilowatt hours. Since 1990, worldwide wind energy usage has developed at break-neck speed. It took ten years to increase global wind power capacity from a total of 2,000 MW in 1990 to almost 18,000 MW in 2000. "Today, partly thanks to advances in technology leading to large-scale systems with ever-greater capacities, it is possible to add this same 16,000 MW of wind power capacity within a single year", said IWR Director Dr. Norbert Allnoch.
The previous trend of developing larger and larger systems, even beyond the current highest class of 5 MW, is set to continue. The international prospects for the wind market, which currently has an annual volume of around 20 billion euros, remain very positive. "The US Department of Energy (DOE) has presented a scenario for 2030 in a current study whereby wind energy covers 20 percent of electricity consumption in the USA. If this is actually implemented, wind turbines with a capacity of almost 300,000 MW would be required for the USA alone between now and 2030," said Dr. Allnoch.
Amount of global wind energy capacity in megawatts (MW) at the end of the year
1990: 2,000 MW
1995: 5,000 MW
2000: 18,000 MW
2005: 59,000 MW
2007: 94,000 MW
For further information:
http://www.iwr.de and http://www.renewable-energy-industry.com
Muenster, 15 May 2008
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Energies (IWR).
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