Global craze for wind energy

Most of the several hundred thousand people employed by the global wind power industry are Europeans. European companies manufacture 80 per cent of wind turbine sold worldwide. The global large turbine market is expected to surplus $16 billion annually by 2007. And the investment firm Merril Lynch believes that wind power will grow 15 fold over the next 20 years.
As on today the greatest growth in wind electricity has occurred in a handful of countries like Germany, Japan, Denmark, Spain & some states of the USA (Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Texas and California). Beyond Europe and the USA, the most significant growth has been achieved in Asia. India added 250 MW capacity last year, keeping it in the fifth place with total installed capacity at 2000 MW. By 2020 their targeted installation capacity is of 5000 MW. India has systematically surveyed wind speed all over the country, monitored the selected areas and discovered large wind energy potentials of about 45000 MW mainly for grid connection. Japan’s installed capacity is around 500 MW. The expansion of China’s wind power market appears to have slowed in 2006, rising by 16 per cent to 600 MW. China already has 2000 MW installed capacity.
Wind energy is not an unknown matter in Bangladesh. It has long been used to provide motive force to boat with sails in this riverine country. But utilising wind energy for generation of electricity is a new thing to us.

Financial Express bd