- Global wind installations surged 40% year on year to a record 165 GW in 2025, lifting total capacity to 1,299 GW.
- South Africa retains its position as Africa’s leading wind market with more than 4 GW operational and a 17 GW advanced project pipeline.
- GWEC projects nearly 1 TW of new wind capacity additions between 2026 and 2030, supporting a pathway toward 2 TW globally by 2029.
The global wind energy sector delivered its strongest year on record in 2025, installing 165 GW of new capacity, a 40% increase compared to the previous year, according to the Global Wind Energy Council Global Wind Report 2026. The expansion lifted cumulative global wind capacity to 1,299 GW, reinforcing wind power as a central pillar of the global energy transition amid volatile oil and gas markets and persistent supply chain pressures.
The report highlights that wind energy continues to scale rapidly across 138 countries, with 28,395 turbines installed in 57 markets during the year. Asia Pacific maintained its dominant position, accounting for around 80% of global installations, driven primarily by China, which alone added more than 120 GW. India also recorded strong growth, almost doubling annual installations to 6.3 GW.
Europe and North America also delivered solid expansion, with Europe surpassing 300 GW of total installed wind capacity after adding 19.1 GW in 2025, while the United States installed nearly 7 GW of new onshore wind capacity, reflecting a recovery in project deployment supported by strong market fundamentals.
Africa and the Middle East continued to build momentum from a smaller base, with South Africa consolidating its leadership position on the continent. By the end of 2025, South Africa remained Africa’s largest wind market with more than 4 GW of operational capacity, approximately 2.8 GW under construction, and a development pipeline exceeding 60 GW. Of this pipeline, around 17 GW of projects are at advanced stages and expected to reach financial close or construction within the next five years.
The report notes that while grid constraints remain a limiting factor for accelerated deployment, South Africa continues to be viewed as one of the most attractive renewable energy markets in Africa due to policy stability, ongoing market reforms and planned transmission expansion. These factors are expected to improve project bankability and unlock significant private sector investment over the medium term.
Globally, industry leaders emphasised that the record expansion demonstrates the competitiveness of wind energy as a low cost and scalable power source. The sector added 155.3 GW of onshore wind and 9.3 GW of offshore wind in 2025, with offshore installations approaching the 100 GW milestone.
Ben Backwell, Chief Executive Officer of GWEC, said the scale of growth reflects a structural shift in global energy systems driven by rising demand for affordable and resilient electricity. He noted that while growth is accelerating, it remains uneven across regions due to permitting delays, grid bottlenecks and slow infrastructure build out, which continue to constrain deployment in several markets.
GWEC also warned that the world remains off track to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 unless policy and infrastructure barriers are addressed more decisively. The organisation has called for faster permitting processes, accelerated grid investment, improved access to finance and stronger supply chain development to unlock a large pipeline of ready to build projects.
Looking ahead, GWEC Market Intelligence projects nearly 969 GW of new wind capacity will be installed globally between 2026 and 2030, averaging 194 GW annually. This trajectory would support global capacity surpassing 2 TW by 2029, driven initially by continued dominance from China, but with growing diversification expected from Southeast Asia, Central Asia and Africa and the Middle East toward the end of the decade.
Industry stakeholders argue that Africa’s emerging pipeline, particularly in South Africa and increasingly in the Middle East, positions the region as a key frontier for future wind investment, especially as governments seek to enhance energy security, reduce exposure to fossil fuel price volatility and accelerate electrification through domestic renewable generation.
Link to the full report HERE
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
