The World of Wind Power – The WWEApodcast

Shipping is the backbone of global trade – yet the industry remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels, making it a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. While the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has acknowledged the urgency, the transformation to renewable energy based transportation is still in its early stages. In this episode, we talk to Gavin Allwright, Secretary General of...

Just a few years ago, the Chinese government broke ground on Xiongan, a brand-new metropolis near Beijing designed to become a global benchmark for sustainable urban development. This year, the city hosted its third annual international competition dedicated to innovative energy technologies – cementing its role as a living laboratory for the future. In this episode, we talk with Yunhan Liu, Techn...

Italy, a leading industrial nation with limited fossil fuel reserves, is accelerating its transition to renewable energy – especially wind and solar. The country aims to more than double its wind capacity from 13 GW to almost 30 GW within the next four years, a critical step toward energy independence and climate goals. In this episode, we’re joined by Davide Astiaso Garcia, Secretary General of t...

The world faces another fossil fuel crisis, an escalating climate emergency, and slow progress in international climate negotiations. In response, the governments of Colombia and the Netherlands made history by co-hosting the First International Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels. Held in Santa Marta, Colombia, from 24-29 April 2026, the event brought together 57 fossil fuel-produc...

The United States pioneered modern wind power in the 1980s, briefly leading global installations in 2008–2009 before being overtaken by China. While the Inflation Reduction Act created new incentives for growth, the Trump administration has actively sabotaged progress – attempting to ban new wind farms and even paying companies not to build them. Energy analyst Michael Barnard joins us to dissect...

2025 marked a historic milestone: For the first time, the world added 169 GW of new wind capacity in a single year – bringing wind power’s share of global electricity generation to over 11%. While China leads this expansion, dynamic growth is visible worldwide, with countries like Vietnam, Chile, and Turkey emerging as front-runners in wind energy adoption. In this episode, WWEA President Dr. Irfa...

Chile’s energy landscape is experiencing a profound transformation. Historically dependent on hydropower and imported fossil fuels, the country is now rapidly embracing renewable energy—particularly solar, wind, and storage technologies. This shift is unfolding within a highly liberalized market, where public regulations focus primarily on setting standards. As a result, Chile has emerged as one o...

Strategically positioned between Europe and Asia, Turkey has emerged as one of the Mediterranean region’s leading wind power markets. Driven by a growing population and a rapidly expanding economy, the country is accelerating domestic energy production – with wind power playing a central role in this transformation. Today, Turkey stands out as one of Europe’s most dynamic wind energy markets. In t...

Kazakhstan is widely known for its vast fossil and mineral resources, but the country is increasingly turning toward renewable energy – especially wind power. In this episode of the WWEApodcast, we explore the current state and future prospects of wind energy in Kazakhstan. Our guest Arman Kashinbekov is CEO of the Association of Renewable Energy of Kazakhstan, shares insights into Kazakhstan’s en...

China has become the global leader in wind power, developing the world’s largest wind energy fleet within just two decades. At the 22nd World Wind Energy Conference (WWEC), delegates from 26 countries reviewed these achievements and discussed current challenges, with a strong focus on strengthening international collaboration to accelerate global wind power deployment. In this episode, Qin Haiyan,...

Argentina has some of the largest wind resources in the world, but only a small proportion of these are currently being used to generate electricity. Alongside other resources, the country has an abundance of renewable energy. Despite going through difficult economic times, Argentina has the potential not only to cover its own energy needs with domestic renewable energy, but also to start exportin...

Small wind turbines could play an important role by reducing electricity prices for consumers and strengthening the security of the power supply. While many governments have not fully grasped the benefits of small-scale wind power, smaller businesses have emerged as a significant market segment for small wind turbines. The Indian company Balaji Systems offers small wind turbines ranging from 100 W...

As a country without fossil fuel resources, Uruguay has undergone a fundamental change, transforming itself from a fossil fuel importer into a renewable energy exporter. The country already generates almost all of its power from renewable energy sources, with wind turbines contributing almost a third. Other relevant renewable power sources include hydro, bioenergy and solar. José Cataldo, a profes...

Almost a century ago, pioneers in Ukraine laid the foundations for modern wind power technology. Following independence, investment in larger wind farms began, establishing Ukraine as a significant market for wind turbines. As one of the largest countries in Europe in terms of land mass, Ukraine is blessed with all types of renewable energy resources. Yevhenii Kontorshchykov, an analyst at the Ukr...

Japan was one of the first countries to develop a highly advanced wind industry, largely for export. Today, it is one of the medium-sized markets for wind power. Although the country lost some momentum domestically after being one of the pioneers, it now has ambitious plans, particularly with regard to developing its offshore wind resources. Professor Chuichi Arakawa, Professor Emeritus of Mechani...

Despite more optimistic expectations, the global wind power market stagnated in 2024. The world added 121 Gigawatt, slightly less than in the previous year, bringing the world’s wind power capacity to 1'174 Gigawatt and contributing more than 10% to global electricity demand. In this talk, WWEA President Dr. Irfan Mirza and Secretary General Stefan Gsänger discuss global market dynamics, the impor...

Australia is blessed with natural resources and has made significant progress in the use of renewable energy, particularly wind power. Some states have already achieved, or are on track to achieve, 100% renewable power, with wind a major contributor. 
Jarra Hicks is Director of the Community Power Agency and has been involved in the development of wind projects. She explains the opportunities and...

Sweden was one of the first countries to embrace modern wind technology and is now one of Europe's most dynamic wind power markets, with one of the highest installed capacities per capita. Blessed with an abundance of wind resources, the country is rapidly increasing its share of wind power and citizens and businesses are benefiting from lower electricity prices. Per Olofsson is chairman of the Sw...

Pakistan has become an important market for wind energy. In recent decades, the country has experienced major challenges with its electricity supply and wind power appears to be a perfect solution to meet the country's energy needs. Pakistan is also dependent on imported and expensive fossil fuels, which pose a problem for its economic development. 

 Mirza Muhammad Umer is Senior Business Develop...

Spain has played a key role in the development of modern wind power, as one of the world's largest wind power markets and by contributing to the development of modern wind technology. The country has an abundance of wind resources which, together with solar and other renewables, can provide more energy than Spain needs to meet its domestic demand. Today, with 31 Gigawatt of installed wind capacity...

Blessed with natural resources, especially wind and sun, the Republic of Korea is one of the most technologically innovative countries. Modern wind power started more than 25 years ago and several of the country’s major companies have invested in developing wind technology. 

 The country has big ambitions, particularly in the offshore sector, but currently has a modest installed capacity of 2 Gig...

The world's first documented wind generator was installed in Austria in 1883, and now, more than 140 years later, wind power plays a crucial role in the country's electricity supply, providing 12% of the country's electricity. The country has excellent wind resources in both the mountainous and eastern parts of the country and is aiming for 100% renewable energy by 2030. Martin Jaksch-Fliegenschne...

In 20 years, China has become the world's largest wind power market, adding nearly 80 gigawatts of new wind capacity last year - two-thirds of the global market. The country has managed to build a strong domestic supply chain that is also internationally connected. Wind power now accounts for around 10% of China's electricity generation and will play an even more important role in the future. Yu G...

With the growth of wind turbines, small wind – wind turbines with a capacity of below 100 kW – has become its own market segment. After some challenging years, small wind turbine have now established themselves as an important element of the future renewable energy power supply system. Ulrich Høgenhaven, managing director of the small wind manufacturer Viking Wind, talks to Stefan Gsänger about th...

India is now the largest country on the planet, and it is blessed with natural resources. The South Asian country was one of the first to embrace modern wind power, building a domestic wind industry driven by many small and medium-sized enterprises, some of which have become global players. As an entrepreneur and treasurer of the Indian Wind Power Association, Dr N. Karunamoorthy talks to Stefan G...