Recharge News
Europe has been the technology and market leader in the wind industry for more than 30 years.
Enlightened leadership in Denmark, Germany, Spain and at European level, bolstered by strong public support for action on climate change and local economic development, has ensured that the continent with arguably the fewest wind resources has led the world.
Strong local markets supported technology development, setting the standard for the rest of the globe. But given the political dithering at national and EU level over climate, energy, renewables and subsidies, one has to ask: “For how much longer?”
This year, Asia will pass Europe as the leader in cumulative wind installations. China will continue to be the largest global market, as it has been since 2009; and Asia will be the biggest regional market, as it has been since 2009.
Perhaps this is just the inevitable evolution of the market. After all, Asia is home to nearly two thirds of the world’s population, and according to the new purchasing power parity statistics generated by the World Bank, China will become the world’s largest economy this year using this measure, although it will only pass the US in absolute terms in about 2017.
