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Global commissioning of wind turbines was up 59% to 96.3GW in 2020 as installations surged in China and the U.S. New offshore wind capacity was down 19%
In a record-setting year, the wind market commissioned nearly 100 gigawatts of new build in 2020. Undeterred by the coronavirus pandemic, installations grew 59% year-on-year. Developers commissioned some 96.3 gigawatts of wind turbines globally in 2020, compared with 60.7 gigawatts the previous year. Most of these were on land (94%), as the addition of new turbines at sea fell to 6.1 gigawatts – a 19% drop compared to 2019.
Just four manufacturers accounted for more than half (51%) of the machines deployed: General Electric (GE), Vestas, Goldwind and Envision all commissioned over 10 gigawatts last year. The latest data from research company BloombergNEF (BNEF) shows that GE and Goldwind were the top two turbine suppliers in 2020, following a surge in installations in the U.S. and China. Vestas, which placed first for four years, fell to third place in the 2020 ranking. “GE and Goldwind claimed the top two spots in this year’s ranking by concentrating on the largest markets. This strategy may not be as fruitful in 2021 as subsidies lapse in those areas,” said Isabelle Edwards, wind associate at BloombergNEF and lead author of the 2020 Global Wind Turbine Market Shares report. “Vestas takes on less market risk, with turbines commissioned in 34 countries last year.”
Total onshore wind additions in 2020 were 19.4GW in the Americas, 12.6GW in Europe and 863MW in Africa and the Middle East, while Asia Pacific accounted for 57.3GW. BNEF’s database registered new wind farms starting full commercial operations in 44 countries.
Siemens Gamesa retains its position as the leader in the offshore wind market and already books the offshore wind order out to 2025. Last year, Siemens Gamesa commissioned 1.91GW at sea, with 752MW in the Netherlands, and a further 539MW in the U.K. A significant share of the offshore wind energy market belongs to Chinese companies - Shanghai Electric, Mingyang, Envision, Goldwind and CSSC. Vestas, which acquired MHI Vestas Offshore Wind in 2020, is also aiming to become a leading supplier of offshore wind turbines.
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