Wind power commissioning hits all-time high

Addis Ababa, March 30, 2024 (FBC) – The global increase in the capacity of wind power plants (WPPs) reached 116.0 gigawatts (GW) in 2023, according to the new annual report of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). This means that the previous record for wind generator implementation, which was set in 2020 when the increase in WPP capacity amounted to 110.9 GW, was surpassed last year.

China remains the driver of industry development, providing 65% of the global increase in wind power capacity (75.9 GW out of 116.0 GW) in 2023. Significant rates of bringing WPPs into operation were also observed in the EU (15.1 GW), the United States (6.3 GW), Brazil (5.0 GW), India (2.8 GW) and the United Kingdom (1.5 GW). Onshore wind farms continue to dominate the newly-launched WPPs: they accounted for 90% of the global increase in WPP capacity (68.9 GW of 76.6 GW) in 2022, and for 91% (105.3 GW of 116.0 GW) in 2023, according to the Global Energy Association.

The relatively high capital intensity of offshore wind farms remains a limiting factor for their implementation. For instance, the estimated unit cost of bringing offshore wind generators into operation in the United States was $5,338 per kilowatt (kW) of capacity in 2022, more than double that of onshore wind farms ($2,098 per kW). However, due to the higher strength and frequency of winds in offshore conditions, coastal WPPs are characterised by greater reliability of energy supply: in 2023, the average utilisation rate in the United States was 33.5% for coastal wind farms and 23.3% for onshore wind farms, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

The acceleration of the pace of bringing offshore WPPs into operation could be facilitated by pyramid-shaped wind generators, which, unlike classic windmills, have not one but four interlocking towers, between which blades are installed. Thanks to the use of a square base, as well as cables, anchors and dynamic ballast systems, this design makes it possible to make the structure stable on the water, which cannot be done with windmills, as their centre of gravity is shifted upward. Also useful could be ultra-high voltage (UHV) power lines, which make it possible to supply electricity from areas with favourable conditions for the development of renewable energy sources to densely populated cities with a shortage of space for wind generators.