The Middle East and Africa saw a rise in new wind capacity in 2018, according to figures from the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC). 962MW capacity was installed, an increase of over 300MW on 2017. The leading markets are Morocco, Kenya and Egypt, with the latter installing the largest capacity of 380MW.
“Government commitment in Africa and Middle East is essential for wind energy to progress. Investments in grid and infrastructure are key drivers for growth,” commented Ben Backwell, GWEC’s CEO. “GWEC is especially watching the development in the Middle East. In January 2019, Saudi Arabia awarded 400MW to build the first commercial onshore wind farm in the Middle East. The bid of $21.30KWh proves the competitiveness of onshore wind.”
