Europe wind power set for renewed growth spurt

Last year saw vigorous growth to a 23 percent of generating capacity, or a total of 28,401 megawatt (MW), but lagged the growth to 33 percent in 2002, said the EWEA.

"The slowdown in the growth rate is mostly due to a decrease in Germany, but this was an anomaly and we expect things to stabilise again," Corin Millais, Chief Executive of the Brussels-based organisation said.

"We uphold a long-term forecast (made last October) for European capacity to reach 75,000 MW by 2010," he added.

World wind power champion Germany built 2,645 MW of new capacity in 2003, bringing its total to 14,609 MW while Europe's number two, Spain, added 1,377 MW to a new total of 6,202, EWEA charts showed.

United States figures released recently showed the U.S. overtook Spain last year with a growth rate of 36 percent, arriving at a new total 6,370 MW.

EWEA figures covered only Europe, which account for around 70-80 percent of world wind energy.

Millais said the 15-nation bloc will boost its capacity through the accession of 10 new members this year.

Among the European top six wind power nations, Denmark was in third position, having added 243 MW to arrive at 3,110 MW. The Netherlands last year built 196 MW to reach a total 873 MW, followed by Italy adding 116 MW to arrive at 904 MW and Britain, which put in 103 MW, making the total 649 MW. Europe's wind power capacity in an average wind year can produce 60 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity, equal to about 2.4 percent of total EU power consumption, EWEA said.

Germany had added new capacity of 3,247 MW in 2002, with the total at year-end at 12,001 MW, figures from national association BWE showed last year. The country's equipment producers have recently started focusing on exports, because they are due to run out of more onshore sites and most offshore projects are years away.