El Consejo Mundial de Energía Eólica (GWEC) prevé que se instalarán alrededor de 60.000 MW eólicos en el mundo en 2017 y que la instalación anual subirá a unos 75.000 MW anuales en 2021, año en el que espera que los megavatios eólicos totales lleguen a 800.000, lo que supondría prácticamente doblar la potencia actual, según indica el Global Wind Market Report presentado hoy en Nueva Delhi.
Según el informe, en 2016 se instalaron más de 54.000 MW de energía eólica en más de 90 países, de los que 9 tienen más de 10.000 MW instalados y 29 han superado los 1.000 MW.
La capacidad acumulada mundial creció un 12,6% el año pasado, hasta 486.000 MW instalados.
"La eólica compite con éxito en la actualidad con otras tecnologías fuertemente subsidiadas en todo el mundo, construye nuevas industrias, crea cientos de miles de puestos de trabajo y lidera el camino hacia un futuro energético sostenible", ha indicado Steve Sawyer, Secretario General de GWEC. "Tenemos que alcanzar un sistema energético de cero emisiones antes de 2050 si queremos cumplir con el cambio climático y los objetivos de desarrollo, reclama.
Los niveles de penetración eólica continúan aumentando en el mundo, liderados por Dinamarca con un 40%, seguida por Uruguay, Portugal e Irlanda con más del 20%, España y Chipre con alrededor del 20%, Alemania 16%, China con el 4%, Estados Unidos el 5,5% y Canadá con un 6%.
Los bajos precios de las últimas subastas de eólica offshore en Europa están impulsando de nuevo el mercado eólico europeo, un tanto lánguido en los últimos tiempos, y atrayendo la atención de reguladores de todo el mundo, Aunque Europa siga liderando la eólica marina, otras regiones como Asia o América del Norte no tardarán en subirse al carro.
No obstante, Asia será el continente que liderará el crecimiento eólico, con China e India a la cabeza.
América del Norte les seguirá y Europa continuará "su segura aunque poco espectacular marcha" hacia los objetivos de 2020.
En América Latina, y a pesar de los problemas políticos y económicos de Brasil, otros países de la región han crecido para llenar el vacío, especialmente Uruguay, Chile y Argentina.
África tendrá un gran año en 2017, con el liderazgo de Kenia, Sudáfrica y Marruecos.
Australia, después de un período de calma, parece volver a resurgir con proyectos para los próximos años, siempre según el informe.
Para consultar el comunicado de GWEC, pincha aquí.
Para consultar el Global Wind Market Report, pincha aquí. 
Previsión de la potencia eólica acumulada por regiones en el mundo 2017-2021. Strong Outlook for Wind Power 800GW by 2021 says GWEC The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) released its flagship publication Global Wind Report: Annual Market Update today in Delhi.
More than 54 GW of clean renewable wind power was installed across the global market in 2016, which now comprises more than 90 countries, including 9 with more than 10,000 MW installed, and 29 which have now passed the 1,000 MW mark.
Cumulative capacity grew by 12.6% to reach a total of 486.8 GW. "Wind power is now successfully competing with heavily subsidized incumbents across the globe, building new industries, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and leading the way towards a clean energy future" said GWEC Secretary General Steve Sawyer. "We are well into a period of disruptive change, moving away from power systems centered on a few large, polluting plants towards markets increasingly dominated by a range of widely distributed renewable energy sources.
We need to get to a zero emissions power system well before 2050 if we are to meet our climate change and development goals." Wind power penetration levels continue to increase, led by Denmark pushing 40%, followed by Uruguay, Portugal and Ireland with well over 20%, Spain and Cyprus around 20%, Germany at 16%; and the big markets of China, the US and Canada get 4%, 5.5%, and 6% of their power from wind, respectively.
GWEC's rolling five year forecast sees almost 60 GW of new wind installations in 2017, rising to an annual market of about 75 GW by 2021, to bring cumulative installed capacity of over 800 GW by the end of 2021.
Growth will be led by Asia: China will continue to lead all markets, but India set a new record for installations this past year and has a real shot to meet the government's very ambitious targets for the sector; and there are a number of exciting new markets in the region with great potential.
Market fundamentals are strong in North America, and Europe's steady if unspectacular march towards its 2020 targets has been given a big boost by the year's most exciting new development: the dramatic price reductions for offshore wind.
Europe will continue to lead the offshore market, but the low prices have attracted the attention of policymakers worldwide, particularly in North America and Asia. "Offshore wind has had a major price breakthrough in the past year, and looks set to live up to the enormous potential that many have believed in for years.
We see the technology continuing to improve and spread beyond its home base in Europe in the next 5-10 years", continued Sawyer.
Despite Brazil's political and economic woes, other countries in the region have stepped up to fill the gap, especially Uruguay, Chile and the region's most exciting new market in Argentina.
Africa will have a big year in 2017, led by Kenya, South Africa and Morocco, and the future of wind on the continent looks bright.
After a lull, the Australian market looks to come roaring back with a strong pipeline of projects to be built out over the next few years. "Overall, we have a lot of confidence in the wind power market going forward, as the technology continues to improve, prices continue to go down and the call for clean, renewable power to reduce emissions, clean our air and create new jobs and new industries only gets stronger with each passing year", concluded Sawyer.