Spain sets new wind power record

• 15 years ago (2009-11-09)
• David Flin

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Wind power in reached a new record during 8 ^th November, providing at its peak 53.7 per cent of ’s total electricity demand, 10.7 per cent greater than the previous record set in November 2008.

The surge in wind power triggered water pumping stations which transport water into reservoirs. This store of water will then be released over the day generating electricity via water turbines at times of peak demand.

The Spanish Wind Energy Association said the sustained peak in wind powered electricity production proves that “wind energy is no longer marginal”. By 2020 Spain is expected to double its wind-power producing capacity from the current level of 16 GW to 45 GW. Jacopo Moccia, Regulatory Affairs Adviser for EWEA said: “With this expected growth in capacity we could envisage wind meeting the vast majority of demand during times of peak supply by 2020.”

Spain is the world's third biggest producer of wind power, after the USA and Germany, with an installed capacity of 16,740 MW at the end of 2008, a rise of 1,609 MW for the year. On particular windy days, wind power generation has surpassed all other electricity sources in Spain, including nuclear.

Wind energy is an important energy source in Spain because the Spanish government has sanctioned a green energy approach to guarantee an increase in the country’s wind generation capacity, with aspirations to install a total of 20.1 GW of wind power by 2010.

The contribution of Wind Energy to GDP has grown rapidly in recent years. In the period from 2003 to 2007 it increased from € 1,022 million to € 1,933 million. The GDP of the Wind Energy Industry grew in real terms (at factor cost) by 62.7 per cent in the period from 2003 to 2007; giving average annual growth of 15.7 per cent in those years.