Wind turbine orders grow 23 percent, led by China — study

PARIS, France - Dominated by China, orders for wind turbines increased 23 percent worldwide in the first half of the year, with investment reaching $42 billion, an energy research firm said on Monday.

Out of a global total of 91.2 gigawatts (GW), Chinese domestic orders alone represented 70 GW while orders from abroad added another 5 GW, said research firm Wood Mackenzie in a press release Monday.

"Chinese OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) continue to break records for order intake," said Luke Lewandowski, vice president for global renewables research at Wood Mackenzie.

"Conversely, Western OEMs are struggling to keep pace, challenged by China’s competitive advantages in pricing and availability. Soft demand in Western markets as well as policy uncertainty, inflation, and other cost pressures have also driven down activity in the US and Europe," he said.

Western manufacturers only accounted for 13 percent of global orders in the first half. Excluding China, orders fell 16 percent, or by 2.3 GW, over the period.

"China remains the undisputed leader in the industry," Lewandowski said. — Agence France-Presse