Africa, Middle East install close to 1 GW of wind power in 2018

Africa and the Middle East installed 962 MW of new onshore wind capacity in 2018, up by more than 300 MW from a year earlier, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) said Monday.

The three countries that led the growth were Egypt with 380 MW, Kenya with 310 MW and Morocco with 120 MW.

The total installed wind capacity in Africa and the Middle East now stands at 5.7 GW with the GWEC forecasting that an additional 6.5 GW will be added by 2023, this would mean more than double the current installed capacity of 5.7GW.
It said it expects wind installations of more than 1 GW each year.

Ben Backwell, CEO of GWEC, said: “Government commitment in Africa and Middle East is essential for wind energy to progress. Investments in grid and infrastructure are key drivers for growth.”
“GWEC is especially watching the development in the Middle East,” he said.

Karin Ohlenforst, Director of Market Intelligence at GWEC, said: “After two years with lower installations, Africa and Middle East reached almost 1GW of new wind capacity, reaching a similar level as in 2015 (983MW). The outlook is that Africa and Middle East will add more than 1GW each year of new wind capacity.”

“Even though, no new capacity was installed in South Africa during 2018, during the summer state utility Eskom signed PPAs from previous auction rounds. Further, the industry expects the fifth round of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Program (REIPPPP) to take place during H1 2019,” Karin Ohlenforst added.

Growth in renewables is a priority across the world in a bid to meet international climate agreements whilst satisfying rising energy demand. It forms a crucial part of the solution to reduce emissions, strengthen the energy mix and boost investment into local economies, the GWEC argues.