Paris, France– Orders for wind turbines were up in the first half of the year compared to 2022, after a rebound in purchases in North America and strong volumes in China, said a study published Friday.
Between January and June turbine orders for capacity reached 69.5 gigawatts, a 12 percent rise over in the first six months of 2022, according to research firm Wood Mackenzie.
That figure sets a first half record although it is down on second half 2022 results.
Total first half volume by value came in at $40.5 billion with a 47 percent rise in Chinese demand one of the key factors behind the push, the report said, consolidating the nation’s top rank status.
US demand also was a factor, with volume of electrical power (7.7 GW) quadrupling compared to the first half of 2022.
The study credited President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act in the United States, which is designed to underpin a vast energy transition and social reform programme.
According to Wood Mackenzie, offshore wind power is increasingly playing a role with the first half of the year seeing a 26 percent rise over first half 12 GW for a 17 percent share of capacity.
The International Energy Agency said in July that offshore reach would increase in the coming years as more countries develop or plan their first offshore wind farms.
The trend has notably pushed global leading turbine manufacturer German-Spanish company Siemens Gamesa up to third in terms of ordered power behind China’s Envision Energy and Windey.
Denmark’s Vestas, long the sector leader, has dropped to fifth this year as China’s giants increasingly dominate the market.