The world’s overall capacity of installed wind power reached 600 gigawatts (GW) in 2018, courtesy of the booming production rates of some of its top wind turbine manufacturers.
According to GlobalData, Danish firm Vestas re-established its place at the top of the list, followed by China’s Goldwind, Siemens Gamesa, GE Renewable Energy and Envision Energy.
World Wind Energy Association Secretary General Stefan Gsänger said: “The global transformation of the energy system towards renewable energy is on its way, and wind power is a major force in this development, having become a major pillar of power supply throughout the world.
“Some countries are making very good progress in accelerating wind power deployment rates.
“Such acceleration is imperative not only to achieve the objectives of the Paris Climate Change agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals, but also for every country to participate in the full socio-economic advantages of renewable energy.”
Ankit Mathur, practice head of power at GlobalData, added: “The top five turbine manufacturers accounted for nearly 62% of the total installed capacity in 2018, up almost 5% on the previous year.
“On average, the wind market is likely to install 59GW of annual wind capacity until 2023.
“Consistent growth will come from mature markets in the US and Europe, whilst additional growth is estimated to be driven by global offshore market and developing markets in South East Asia, the Middle East and Northern Africa.”
Here we take a closer look the most prolific wind turbine companies of 2018.
Top wind turbine manufacturers
Vestas Wind Systems
Vestas manufactures and implements wind turbines in more than 80 countries around the world and claims its 101GW of total installed capacity to date is more than any of its competitors.
“Vestas has been among the top wind turbine manufacturers and has grown organically,” said Mr Mathur.
“Having secured its base in the key European and US markets, and a strong product portfolio, the company should now aim for other big markets where it has a minority presence.”
GlobalData confirmed the company installed 10GW of turbine capacity last year, accounting for almost 20% of the global total during the 12-month period.
Goldwind Science & Technology
China-based Goldwind’s work began in the 1980s when, with the support of the country’s State Science and Technological Commission and its Ministry of Water Resources, the company increased Chinese wind capacity from 2,050KW to 6,100KW.
Today, it operates on 6 continents, has more than 8,000 employees and over 44GW of installed wind capacity around the world.
The firm claims to contribute more than nine billion tonnes to annual CO2 reduction and the equivalent of almost five billion cubic metres to reforestation each year.
According to GlobalData, Goldwind installed 7GW of wind turbine capacity in 2018, equivalent to 13.7% of the global total.
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy
Siemens Gamesa, which is home to 23,000 employees, has installed products and technology in more than 90 countries across the globe, with a total capacity of 89GW across its entire renewable energy portfolio.
“Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, which topped the 2017 ranking, fell three places and is currently occupying third position,” explained Mr Mathur.
“It installed 6.1GW, with 11.8% share of the global wind turbine installations for 2018.
“The fall in the installed capacity, from 9.4GW in 2017 to 6.1GW is mainly attributed to a large number of turbines delivered to projects that are still under construction and expected to come online between 2019 and 2020.”
GE Renewable Energy
GE Renewable Energy, a subsidiary of US conglomerate General Electric, has a total clean power capacity of 400GW worldwide, with 35,000 wind turbines and 25% of global hydropower installations included in its portfolio.
The company is in the midst of introducing the Haliade X to the global wind power market, marking the largest turbine ever to be mass-produced standing close to the height of buildings like the Eiffel Tower and Chrysler building at 260m.
Leading a host of offshore wind manufacturers working on the project, it plans to invest $400m (£314m) over the next four years in order to deliver the mammoth product.
Chairman and CEO John Flannery said: “We want to lead in the technologies that are driving the global energy transition.
“Offshore wind is one of those technologies and we will bring the full resources of General Electric to make the Haliade-X programme successful for our customers.”
With more than 5GW of turbine installations in 2018, GE Renewable Energy ranked fourth in the world for the year.
Envision Energy
Envision claims to have surpassed the technological limits of traditional wind turbines by increasing the efficiency of wind power generation by 15%.
Headquartered in Shanghai, the company has regional offices across Asia, Europe, North America and South America, and has established global research and development centres in Singapore, Denmark, Germany and the US.
The collective capacity of its installed wind turbines in 2018 was 3.7GW, meaning it comprised 7.2% of the market, according to GlobalData.
