A Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) report found that the global wind power industry installed 117 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity in 2023, the best year ever for wind projects. That was a 50% year-on-year increase from 2022. Fifty-four countries installed wind power structures, with China setting a record of 75 GW of projects commissioned. Africa and the Middle East saw an 182% growth in wind power.
The top five markets for wind power are China, the United States, Brazil, Germany, and India. In 2023, Brazil saw more than 4.8 GW installed. Latin America as a whole saw a 21% year-to-year increase. The data explains countries are taking renewable energy seriously, even oil-rich nations.
The GWEC revised its 2024–2030 growth forecast by 10% because of all this new wind power; it is now around 1,210 GW of wind power by the next decade. It credits more climate-friendly national policies like the Inflation Reduction Act and the European Green Deal for prioritizing growth in renewable energy, especially wind power.
Photo Courtesy GWEC
The GWEC says there is still work to be done. The council wants wind power to triple its annual growth to 320 GW by 2030 to meet COP28 targets. The climate talks in November–December sanctioned several goals of reducing carbon emissions through tripled renewable energy deployment. More than 100 countries are contributing to the global renewable energy mission. Wind, solar, and nuclear were tapped as the main sources.
According to GWEC, onshore wind had its best performance on record, generating 106 GW compared to only 10.8 GW for offshore wind. However, that is also offshore wind’s second-best year to date.
“When nearly 200 governments at COP28 in Dubai agreed [on] the historic goal to triple renewable energy capacity, they demonstrated the ambition that will be needed to transition away from fossil fuels, limit the global temperature rise, and avert the worst impacts of climate change,” Jonathan Cole, GWEC chair and Corio Generation CEO, said in the report. “Now comes the hard part. The part where we must take the bold decisions necessary to make this goal a reality.”
Photo Courtesy Nicholas Doherty
The report’s executive summary outlined 12 takeaways from the goal of tripling renewables by 2030. They focus on energy systems production, business competition, supply chain, trade policy, community engagement, integration of artificial intelligence, proper education, and global fulfillment of climate goals. Breaking down economic barriers to wind power would also expedite the process.
“GWEC is working hard with governments, stakeholders, and companies to continue working through the bottlenecks in countries around the world — many highlighted in the Global Wind Report’s Markets to Watch — through initiatives such as the Global Offshore Wind Alliance, the Ocean Energy Pathway technical assistance program, Women in Wind, our work on supply chains, and other activities,” Ben Backwell, GWEC CEO, said in the report.
The report said that by 2028, the world might be up to 145 GW of onshore wind projects and 37 GW of offshore wind. The rapid pace of wind is getting the world closer to reaching the Paris Agreement on climate adopted in 2015. The expansion of renewable energy is driving this change, but as emissions continue to rise, the pace has to get faster.
