Global regions
News and in-depth analysis of wind power, wind farms and wind industry companies and policy around the world.
North America
Insurance little help for coronavirus-hit wind sector
Wind power operators will most likely be unable to successfully claim insurance payouts for problems indirectly caused by the coronavirus outbreak, according to a renewable energy underwriter.
Google parent drops kite-power pioneer Makani
Google parent company Alphabet has dropped kite-based wind-power systems developer Makani from its new technology investment platform X, explaining it was too slow and risky to reach commercialisation.
Open-source 15MW digital turbine launched
Researchers have launched a 15MW reference wind turbine to help manufacturers assess performance and costs ahead of developing a prototype.
Mayflower lowers US offshore to $58/MWh
Shell and EDP Renewables’ 804MW Mayflower Wind project will generate electricity for $58.47/MWh over its 20-year lifetime, marking a new benchmark for US offshore wind.
South America
Chile advances South America's biggest wind farm
Chilean energy company Colbun has applied for an environmental licence to build the largest wind project in Latin America.
Americas installations up 12% in 2019
Combined installations in North, Central and South America, and the Caribbean increased 12% year on year to 13.4GW in 2019, according to new figures released by the Global Wind Energy Council.
How to launch Brazil’s offshore wind sector
Brazil needs to tighten its permitting and regulatory structures and ensure its ports, grid and vessels are sufficient to facilitate project development if the country is to launch its offshore wind sector, according to a government roadmap.
Developers seek more time after election spooks financiers
Developers are urging Argentina's authorities to give them more time to build renewable energy projects as the return of the Peronist movement to government sends shivers through financial markets.
Middle East & Africa
Middle East and African installations slow in 2019
Wind power installations slowed in Africa and the Middle East last year, according to Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) figures, but the industry body expects faster growth in the next five years.
First power from first West African wind farm
Lekela has delivered first power to the grid from its 158.7MW Taiba N'Diaye project in Senegal, the west African country's first utility-scale wind farm.
SGRE ramps up production, but investors seek more clarity
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) has completed construction of Turkey's first nacelle factory and is set to ramp up production until it reaches full capacity of about 100 nacelles, or 500MW, a year.
Africa set for nine-fold wind capacity increase
The International Energy Agency (IEA) expects Africa's wind power fleet to increase nine-fold between the end of 2018 and 2040, but the continent's small power markets and underdeveloped grids pose challenges to managing variability as renewables' penetration increases.
Europe
EDPR reports jump in 2019 profits
EDP Renovaveis’ net profit in 2019 was 52% higher at €475 million, thanks principally to a 27% rise in Ebitda to almost €1.65 billion and the sale of wind assets in Europe and the US.
Record 5.2GW of offshore wind added in 2019
A record 5.2GW of fully operational offshore wind capacity was commissioned in 2019, according to a report from advocacy body World Forum Offshore Wind (WFO).
German onshore tender undersubscribed again
Germany’s first onshore wind tender of 2020 was undersubscribed and prices inched up from its last auction, dampening hopes of a turnaround for the sector after the country held its first oversubscribed round in more than a year just before Christmas.
Hornsea Two green hydrogen plans tested
The world’s largest offshore wind farm may produce green hydrogen that will power an oil and gas refinery in the north-east of England as part of an industrial-scale trial of the technology.
Asia Pacific
Key Suzlon lender accepts restructuring plan
Government-owned State Bank of India (SBI) has approved Suzlon’s debt restructuring plan, the struggling manufacturer confirmed in a notification to the stock exchange.
Coronavirus 'jeopardises 2020 Chinese installations'
Production delays caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak could halve wind turbine installations in China in 2020 if the epidemic continues to impact the supply chain into the middle of the year, according to global energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie.
Suzlon on the brink as debts mount
Suzlon recorded another $100 million-plus loss in the third quarter of its fiscal year, while its debt grew, turbine deliveries ground to a halt and restructuring talks with lenders continued without resolution.
SGRE overtakes Suzlon in India
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) seized new orders from embattled Senvion to surpass Suzlon as India’s top turbine supplier in 2019.
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