The wind energy sector installed more than 41 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity last year, according to new figures released today that show 75 countries now boast wind power as part of their energy mix.

Annual figures from the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) reveal that developers installed 21 per cent more wind power capacity in 2011 compared to 2010, bringing the total capacity to more than 238GW at the end of last year.

Around 75 countries worldwide now have commercial wind power installations in place, with 22 of them having already passed the 1GW level.

Significantly, for the second year running, the majority of new installations were outside the OECD, with new markets in Latin America, Africa and Asia driving market growth.

China has consolidated its position as global market leader, installing 18GW last year, bringing its total capacity to more than 62GW.

Meanwhile, India pushed its total capacity to just over 16GW, building 3GW of new wind farms last year. D.V. Giri, chairman of the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association, said another 5GW was due to come online by 2015.

As revealed yesterday, the European Union added 9,616MW of wind energy capacity during 2011, making up more than a fifth of total new power installations, and representing an 11 per cent rise on the previous year.

Steve Sawyer, GWEC secretary general, said the figures show the wind energy market remains strong despite the global economic crisis.

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