THE EFFORTS OF a single country are keeping the world’s wind-power farms in growth mode, new data reveals.
Without China, “wind farm installations may actually fall slightly this year,” BloombergNEF reported yesterday.
More than 130 nations last year agreed to triple clean power capacity by the end of the decade, but China is one of few countries adhering to the pledge seriously, research suggests.
The global solar market is booming, thanks to China’s efforts to increase panel efficiency while slashing costs. But wind power is lagging badly around the world, except in China.
Wind farm installations are projected to grow by only 5% in 2024 (and that’s if China’s efforts are included). This compares to a 34% increase for solar power, researchers said.
In China, wind-energy capture devices almost as tall as the Eiffel Tower are under construction. Ming Yang, the headline company in this area, are also creating double-headed turbines (pictured at top).
“The slow pace of wind progress is affecting the efficacy of that tripling renewables target,” said Oliver Metcalfe, head of wind research at BloombergNEF.
Meanwhile, China has long been dependent on fossil fuels, but is slightly ahead of target in its efforts to move to cleaner energy sources.
In contrast, the US hit new records for oil production under Donald Trump’s administration – and recently hit a fresh set of all-time highs under the Biden-Harris leadership.
BloombergNEF is a carbon zero research unit that doesn’t share the hostility to China of the New York company’s news units.
Image at the top by Ming Yang.