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IHS Energy report: 2015 set a new record for global wind turbine installations

By Paul Dvorak | March 17, 2016

Magnus Dale, IHS Energy

IHS Energy identified wind turbine installations in 52 different countries with a total capacity of 61.8 GW in 2015.

IHS Energy identified wind turbine installations in 52 different countries with a total capacity of 61.8 GW in 2015.

This note contains key points from a recent IHS Energy annual analysis of global wind turbine installation market share. They include:

  • 2015 set a new record for global wind turbine installations.
  • An installation rush in key markets such as China and Germany drove up global wind turbine demand.
  • Wind turbine manufacturers Goldwind, Vestas and GE captured top three spots globally.
  • Siemens cemented its offshore wind leadership in 2015.

IHS Energy identified wind turbine installations in 52 different countries with a total capacity of 61.8 GW in 2015. This represented a new all-time high in installations for the global wind turbine market, with a nearly 20% increase over the previous record set in 2014.

An installation rush in key markets drove up global wind turbine demand

China installed about 30.5 GW in 2015, nearly half of the global wind market, as developers sought to install capacity before tariff adjustments at year end. USA and Germany were the second and third largest markets with wind new builds of 8.3 GW and 4.9 GW, respectively

Wind turbine manufacturers Goldwind, Vestas, and GE captured the top three spots globally

Goldwind landed atop the global wind turbine installation rankings in 2015; the first time ever a Chinese vendor has led IHS Energy’s global wind turbine installation rankings. Less than 3% of Goldwind’s installed capacity was in markets outside China, underscoring Chinese manufacturers’ continued dependence on their home-market. Vestas and GE followed 2nd and 3rd positions, respectively, capturing 12% and 9% of global wind turbine installations.

Siemens cemented its offshore wind leadership in 2015

Siemens bolstered its leadership in offshore wind with installations in the UK and Germany totalling nearly 2 GW, or approximately 75% of the global offshore wind market. IHS Energy expects Europe and China to represent two disparate offshore wind turbine markets, with Siemens and Chinese vendors competing in their respective markets for global leadership in 2016.

Notes on methodology: IHS based its wind turbine market share calculations on data obtained directly from the IHS Energy database, wind turbine manufacturers, wind project developers, preliminary figures released by the China Wind Energy Association (CWEA) for domestic installations by Chinese OEMs, and best-effort estimates. For most vendors, IHS has considered turbine installation figures as opposed to grid-connected capacity in its analysis.

 


Filed Under: News
Tagged With: ihs energy
 

About The Author

Paul Dvorak

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