Global Wind Energy Council: China Leads Growth: Global New Wind Power Capacity Additions Reach 165 Gigawatts in 2025, Setting a New Record High, Yet Still Falling Short of the Speed Needed to Achieve Climate Goals

¬ After adding 165 gigawatts, global wind power capacity reaches 1,299 gigawatts

¬ China leads the growth, with 120 gigawatts of new installations, exceeding half of the global total

¬ To meet climate targets, global wind power capacity must reach 320 gigawatts annually by 2030

¬ In 2025, wind energy achieved a new milestone, with continuous and steady growth in global wind power capacity.

According to a report released by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) on Monday, the global wind industry added 165 gigawatts of new capacity last year. This brought the total global wind power capacity close to 1,299 gigawatts, continuing a 25-year growth trend.

Since global wind power capacity was only 24 gigawatts in 2001, the industry has seen consistent growth. By 2012, capacity had increased tenfold; it surpassed 500 gigawatts in 2017 and broke through the 1,000-gigawatt mark in 2023. This progress has been driven by declining equipment costs and demonstrated resilience despite disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic and global supply chain constraints.

The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) stated that wind energy is becoming a core technology in modern power systems. It emphasized that among clean energy sources, wind is currently the only one that combines sufficient maturity, reliability, and geographical flexibility to support large-scale grid operations, meet growing industrial demand, and enhance energy security.

In 2025, onshore wind led the expansion, with 155.3 gigawatts of new installations—a 42% increase compared to 2024. Offshore wind grew more moderately, adding 9.3 gigawatts, up 16%.

China Leads Global Wind Expansion

China remains dominant. According to data from the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), China added 120 gigawatts of new capacity, bringing its total wind power capacity to 640 gigawatts by 2025—more than half of the global total. China also remains the world’s largest supplier of wind energy equipment.

Strong investments in both onshore and offshore wind are driving growth in Asia. The region added 131 gigawatts of capacity, accounting for 80% of the global total. India also saw significant growth, with 6.34 gigawatts of new installations.

Europe ranks second, adding 19.1 gigawatts of capacity, pushing its total past 300 gigawatts. The United States added nearly 7 gigawatts of onshore wind capacity.

In Africa, South Africa leads wind expansion, adding 509 megawatts (MW), bringing its total to 4,037 MW. Morocco follows closely, adding 261 MW to reach 2,629 MW, while Egypt added 242 MW, reaching a total of 3,097 MW. Egypt currently has 1.3 gigawatts of wind projects under construction, which could help it reclaim regional leadership in the near term.

Promising Outlook, Yet Gaps Remain

The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) expresses optimism about future growth, stating that wind energy is abundant, cost-effective, scalable, and localized—making it capable of supporting energy sovereignty.

It is projected that between 2026 and 2030, global wind power capacity will grow by 969 gigawatts, averaging 194 gigawatts per year. At this pace, global wind power capacity will exceed 2 terawatts by 2029, with China playing a central role.

In September 2025, China announced plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7% to 10% by 2035. At the same time, China has established a new five-year plan (2026–2030), requiring at least 120 gigawatts of new wind capacity annually, including no less than 15 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity.

Experts point out that current efforts need to be significantly accelerated.

Data from the International Renewable Energy Agency shows that to achieve the goal set by the Paris Agreement—to double global renewable energy capacity by 2030—the world must reach 320 gigawatts of wind power capacity by 2030. This target aims to limit global warming to within 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Source: sputniknews

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1863379587493962/

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