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International Energy Agency recognises increasing role of renewable energy

This is the first time the IEA has devoted a medium-term report to renewable power sources and the agency says this is “a recognition of the dynamic and increasing role of renewable energy

Wind energy will grow by 100 terawatt-hours per year  reve,  By , 23 July 12,   – IEA  Wind power will be the second biggest contributor to global renewable electricity generation by 2017, according to a ground-breaking report by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Despite economic uncertainties in many countries, global power generation from renewable sources including wind turbines will increase by more than 40% to almost 6,400 terawatt hours (TWh) – roughly the equivalent of one-and-a-half times current electricity production in the US, predicts the Medium-Term Renewable Energy Market Report 2012.

This is the first time the IEA has devoted a medium-term report to renewable power sources and the agency says this is “a recognition of the dynamic and increasing role of renewable energy in the global power mix”. It forecasts that renewable electricity generation will expand by 1,840 TWh between 2011 and 2017, almost 60% above the 1 160 TWh growth registered between 2005 and 2011…..

The IEA forecasts that offshore capacity growth will be led by China with a rise of 6.7 GW, the UK with an increase of 5.3 GW, Germany with additional capacity of 3.8 GW and France with an increase of 1.5 GW.

This optimism sits well with the newly released figures from EWEA that show 132 new offshore wind turbines, totalling 523.2 megawatts (MW), were fully grid connected in Europe in the first six months of 2012 – a 50% increase compared to the same period in 2011 when 348.1 MW were installed.

“Renewable energy is expanding rapidly as technologies mature, with deployment transitioning from support-driven markets to new and potentially more competitive segments in many countries,” enthuses  IEA executive director Maria van der Hoeven.

To read the most up-to-date figures for offshore capacity in Europe, see the European WInd Energy Association’s publication – The European offshore wind industry – key trends and statistics 1st half 2012.

July 24, 2012 - Posted by | 2 WORLD, renewable

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