EU’s grid-connected cumulative capacity met 8 percent of Europe's electricity demand in 2014 reaching 129 gigawatts (GW), according to a report of the Joint Research Centre’s (JRC).
The report, which presents the technology, market and economics of the wind energy sector with a focus on the EU, said that 129 GW of installed capacity is equivalent to the combined annual electricity consumption of Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece and Ireland.
According to JRC 2014 wind status report which was published recently, the growth of the wind industry will allow at least 12 percent of electricity share by 2020. This is a significant contribution to the goal of the European energy and climate package which aims for a 20 percent share of energy from renewable sources.
Wind power is the renewable energy which has seen the widest and most successful deployment over the last two decades, increasing the global cumulative capacity from 3 GW to 370 GW, according to the report.
With 52.8 GW of wind turbines capacity installed worldwide in 2014, this represented an annual record of 48 percent increase compared to 2013 and 17 percent over the 2012 record of 45.2 GW.
With 23.2 GW of new installations and a market share of 44 percent, China is well ahead of the EU member states which together installed 13.05 GW.
However, the EU still leads in cumulative capacity and its 129 GW onshore and offshore wind installations generate between 10 and 40 percent of Denmark, Portugal, Spain and Ireland's electricity from wind.
European turbine manufacturers accounted for 78 percent of the non-China world market in 2014.
By Gulsen Cagatay
Anadolu Agency
gulsen.cagatay@aa.com.tr