Electricity production from wind power plants (WPP) in 2020 could grow three times and provide up to 12% of global consumption, according to a joint report by Greenpeace International and the World Council on wind energy (GWEC).
«The fourth edition of the report of the World Council on wind energy shows that the energy of the wind farm can provide up to 12% of global energy consumption by 2020, creating 1.4 million new jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1.5 billion tons per year, that is more than five times the current level. By 2030, wind power can account for up to 20% have electricity, «- said the environmental organization.
Report examines three options for the future of wind energy with intermediate milestones in 2020, 2030 and 2050. In the first case, the future of wind power is developing according to the scenario of the «new politics», a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) on the state of world energy. In addition, GWEC has developed its own two scenarios corresponding to a moderate and progressive development of the industry.
IEA scenario is based on an assessment of current trends in the development of wind energy and environmental policies. Under this scenario, by 2020 wind power will account for 1.4 thousand terawatt-hours (one terawatt-hour equals one billion kilowatt-hours) of electricity against 480 terawatt-hours in 2011. This corresponds approximately 6-6,4% of the global electricity consumption — now is the share of wind energy in the energy balance of the European Union. By 2030, production will increase to 2.4 thousand terawatt-hours, or 8-9% of global consumption.
More ambitious scenarios proposed by the authors, drawn, in particular, based on the fact that the country will stick to the «target of two degrees» — to limit the growth in global average temperature to two degrees Celsius, adopted at the UN talks on climate change. For these scenarios, the development of wind power by 2020 will reach 1.86 to 2.8 thousand terawatt-hours, and the share of total consumption attributable to wind energy to be between 7,7-8,3% to 11,7-12, 6% respectively. In the following decade, growth in the sector will continue, and by 2030, wind power can account for up to 24.8% is already the world’s electricity needs, or 6.7 thousand terawatt-hours.
«An important component of the success of wind energy is a stable, long-term policy that will allow investors an idea of the state’s plans. Report shows that, in conducting a balanced policy in 2020 in the sector may be employed up to 2.1 million people, which is three times more than today «, — the expert concludes Greenpeace International Energy Sven TASK (Sven Teske), whose words are reported.
Russian wind
As the report notes that in Russia, one of the world’s leading manufacturers and consumers with more than 220 gigawatts of installed capacity in the power sector, «Renewable energy is not at the forefront of politics.» Significant reserves of gas, coal and oil are doing relatively cheap electricity, which hinders the development of renewable energy, the report said.
«At the same time, Russia has a great potential in the field of renewable energy sources (RES), at least in view of its size and geography. According to the EBRD, the potential for wind power in the country is huge, with the most attractive from this point of view, the region — coast steppes and mountains, mainly in the north and west of the country, «- wrote the authors of the report.
Until today, wind energy sector in Russia is developing slowly, the total installed capacity of just over 9 megawatts. In January 2009, the Russian government has established a goal of increasing the share of renewable energy in electricity production to 4.5% by 2020, which corresponds to 25 gigawatts of additional generating capacity.
«As an interim targets have been set to 1.5% in 2010 and 2.5% in 2015 — now on renewable energy accounts for less than 1% of the total installed capacity. Additionally, three years after the announcement of the country still does not have a working control system at the national level, which would make a commercially viable renewable energy «- the report says.
As previously reported, the Government of the Russian Federation in early October to take measures to stimulate the development of renewable energy. He, in particular, implies the adoption in the first half of 2013, a package of additional regulations governing the participation of generation facilities based on renewable energy sources in the electricity market and power.