Recharge
The world installed 54.6GW of wind capacity in 2016 as new additions were dragged down by slower growth in China, said the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).
Last year’s global installation figure – down from 63.5GW in 2015 – includes 23.3GW of new Chinese wind, down from 30GW the year before.
GWEC secretary general Steve Sawyer said: "Wind power continues to grow in double digits, but we can't expect the industry to set a new record every single year.” The world now has a total of 486.7GW of wind in place.
The GWEC chief said the sector is in “pretty good shape” overall, with new markets emerging around the world. “We look forward to a strong 2017."
Sawyer labelled China’s growth “impressive” as opposed to the “spectacular” expansion of 2015, which was driven by looming support changes.