Global Wind Report 2019
The flagship annual report for the global wind industry from GWEC Market Intelligence!
In this Report:
Overview
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The 15th flagship Global Wind Report 2019 by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) provides a comprehensive overview of the global wind industry through the latest market data, country profiles, trends and analysis from GWEC Market Intelligence. Wind energy has expanded by leaps and bounds in the last 20 years, becoming a mainstream source of clean, cost-competitive energy around the world.
Key findings:
- 60.4 GW of wind energy capacity was installed globally in 2019, a 19 per cent increase from installations in 2018 and the second-best year for wind historically.
- Total capacity for wind energy globally is now over 651 GW, an increase of 10 per cent compared to 2018.
- China and US remain the world’s largest onshore wind markets, together accounting for more than 60 per cent of new capacity in 2019.
- Offshore wind is playing an increasingly important role in driving global wind installations, with the sector installing a record 6.1 GW in 2019, accounting for a record share of 10 per cent of new installations.
- The report identifies two major tools to further accelerate wind energy growth: shifting the focus from LCOE to building energy markets that support the long-term sustainability of the wind and renewable industries; and using emerging technological solutions such as hybridisation and green hydrogen to open new opportunities for the sector.
- 2020 was expected to be a record year for wind energy, with GWEC forecasting 76 GW of new capacity. However, the full impact of COVID-19 on wind energy installations is still unknown. GWEC will revise its 2020-2024 forecast in the light of the potential impacts of COVID-19 on the global economy and energy markets, and will publish an updated market outlook in Q2 2020.
Industry Sustainability
This chapter addresses how market design must be adapted to enable accelerated growth of renewable energy deployment towards 2030 and beyond. It discusses how policymakers must shift the focus on LCOE to address the policy and regulatory frameworks needed to carry out the Energy Transition. This includes providing the enabling environment to install capacity at the necessary pace and sending the right market signals: adopting system value for energy sources, structuring markets to ensure adequate remuneration for renewable energy and mobilising financing for the transformation of grids.
Technical Solutions Driving Growth
In order to sharply increase the share of wind power in energy markets and accelerate the global energy transition, a series of step changes need to be made. These include: a continued focus on solutions that support the integration of wind and other renewables into the grid; solutions to transport large quantities of renewable energy across greater distances more efficiently; working with other technologies – such as hydrogen – to decarbonise sectors where direct electrification is a challenge; and increasing our ability to store power at times of excess supply. To achieve this, the single renewable energy technology mindset needs to be replaced with the so-called “system approach” and the growth of cross-industry collaboration to decarbonise the economy in the most efficient way possible.
The chapter features new insights and analysis on the technical solutions including:
- Hybrid – Solution Supporting Renewable Integration
- Green Hydrogen – An Enabler for Energy Transition
Market Status 2019
2019 saw the global new wind power installations surpassed 60GW, a 19 per cent growth compared to 2018, and bringing the total installed capacity to 650GW, a growth of 10 per cent compared to last year. New installations in the onshore wind market reached 54.2 GW, while the offshore wind market passed the milestone of 6 GW, making up of 10% of the global new installation in 2019 the highest level to now.
The world’s top five markets in 2019 for new installations were China, the US, United Kingdom, India and Spain, which together made up 70 per cent of the global installation last year. In terms of cumulative installations, the top five markets as the end of 2019 remained unchanged. Those markets are: China, the US, Germany, India and Spain, which together accounted for 72 per cent of the world’s total wind power installation.
Markets to Watch in 2020
The chapter provides in-depth analysis on where wind energy growth is happening by region and country with deep-dives into key emerging markets.
The country profiles for emerging markets including:
- Colombia
- Chile
- Vietnam
- Thailand
- Kenya
- US Offshore
- China Offshore
- Japan Offshore
.. And many more!
Market Outlook 2020 to 2024
The Global Wind Report 2019 highlights a positive market outlook for the global wind industry over the next five years with the CAGR to be foreseen at 4%. GWEC Market Intelligence expects that over 355GW of new capacity will be added between 2020-2024, that is nearly 71GW of new installations each year until 2024.
Government support mechanisms will be key to drive growth at the beginning of the five-year forecast period, which will then give way to market-based or commercial based growth starting in 2021. Developing markets and offshore will play a larger role in driving the global wind market. Offshore wind is expected to grow from 6GW in 2019 to nearly 80GW in 2024, bringing its market share in global new installations from 10% in 2019 to 20% by 2024.
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About GWEC Market Intelligence
GWEC Market Intelligence derives its insights from its own comprehensive databases, local knowledge and leading industry experts. We collaborate with our regional and country member wind associations as well as our corporate members to provide a comprehensive overview of the wind industry today and tomorrow!
