Key data on wind energy for the year 2012

European Union cumulative installed wind power capacity exceeds 100 GW in 2012. Of all cumulative installed capacity 4% is located offshore, equalling 10% of the EU 2012 market.

Wind power makes further inroads into the world’s electricity mix every year. It looks as though global wind power capacity will increase by another 44184 megawatt (MW) in 2012, and so raise global installed capacity to more than 281 gigawatt (GW). Growth in 2012 was driven by the United States, which chalked up a new installation record, and Europe, which remains a safe bet in the world market.

The Asian market weakened a little but its potential for this year nonetheless looks bright.

For the European Union’s wind energy market 2012 was a good year. According to EurObserv’ER, newly installed and hooked up capacity over the year was 11840 MW. This took the EU breezing past the 100 GW installed capacity landmark (105635 MW). Considering the installations taken out of service, EU capacity increased by 11593 MW in 2012, compared to a rise of 9299 MW in 2011.

The European Union (EU) per capita wind energy capacity figures now stand at 209.7 kW per thousand inhabitants. This indicator reveals wind energy’s actual weight in a country; leading EU countries are Denmark (745.8 kW/1000 inhab), Spain (488.8 W/1000 inhab), and Portugal (429.2 kW/1000 inhab).

Also Sweden, Germany and Ireland have a relatively high wind power capacity per thousand inhabitants.

Countries with offshore wind power are: United Kingdom (2679 MW), Denmark (922 MW), Belgium (380 MW), Germany (280 MW), the Netherlands (228 MW), Sweden (163 MW), Finland (26 MW), Ireland (25 MW) and Portugal (2 MW).

Key data on wind power for the year 2012:

Cumulative European Union wind power capacity at end of 2012: 105.6 GW (94.0 GW end 2011)
· Growth of the total wind power capacity in the European Union (EU) in 2012: 12.3%
· Wind power capacity installed in EU during 2012: 11.8 GW (9.5 GW in 2011)
· Electricity production from wind power: 200.2 TWh in 2012 (178.9 TWh in 2011)
· Cumulative EU offshore wind power capacity at end of 2012: 4705.8 MW (3549.4 MW end 2011)
· Wind power capacity installed worldwide at the end of 2012: 281.1 GW (237.2 GW in 2011)
· Shares of the world turbine market in 2012: Asia 35.6%, North America 31.8%, Europe 28.7%

 

http://www.energies-renouvelables.org/observ-er/stat_baro/observ/baro-jde12.pdf

http://www.evwind.com/2013/03/03/eolica-en-europa-barometro-eolico-de-2012/