World Wind Watch | Green Energy News

August 14, 2005 – Vol.10 No.21

WORLD WIND WATCH.

Spain is now the world leader in wind energy growth. A record 2,065 megawatts of capacity was installed in 2004 bringing the nation’s total to 8263 megawatts, according to the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA).

It’s an industry too. More than 500 companies are involved in wind energy including more than 150 factories that contribute parts and components for wind turbines. Factories and businesses mean jobs. More than 30,000 are employed either directly or indirectly in the Spanish wind energy industry.

More are expected to join the ranks as well - up to 60,000 by 2010. In 5 years 20,000 megawatts could be built providing 15-percent of the nation’s energy needs, up from a respectable 6.5 percent today.

In 1999 the country had only 200 megawatts of installed wind capacity.

Visit the EWEA at http://www.ewea.org/ .

According to Chinese news agency Xinhua, China is planning to build its first offshore wind project and, like another well known energy project in the country -Three Gorges - it’s big.

The one-gigawatt facility will be built in the Bohai Sea off the province of Hebai. The project will be built over a 15-year period with an investment of $1.1 billion. The first phase of project, 50 megawatts, will begin construction next year.