Spanish wind power is approaching 30GW of installed capacity.

The Spanish wind industry flexes its muscles thanks to a 2022 in which 1,345 wind farms and 22,042 wind turbines were operated

The year 2022 closed as a new successful year for the Spanish wind energy industry thanks to the installation of 1,670 MW of renewable power, which practically allows the sector to reach the milestone of 30 GW of installed power (29,813 MW to be exact). These figures, offered by the Wind Power Business Association, show that the country continues its efforts to implement an energy production fabric based on renewables; Although the installation rate of wind energy is below that necessary to achieve the objectives of the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC), since it should be set at 2.5 GW of wind power per year.

Despite this, the reality is that Spanish wind energy is responsible for generating 25% of the country’s electricity thanks to the 22,042 wind turbines distributed across 1,345 wind farms of different types and sizes. These figures mean that 8% of the wind energy installed in Europe corresponds to that located in Spain and that positions the Spanish wind energy sector as the second in importance behind Germany, where the figure is 12%, and ahead of the United Kingdom (with 29 GW installed). And at European level, wind energy produces more than 17% of the electricity consumed in the old continent thanks to 255 GW of accumulated wind power, with 30 GW corresponding to offshore wind power.

Spanish wind power figures. Source: Wind Business Association

On the other hand, and in total terms, wind energy is present in practically all the Autonomous Communities of Spain, being present in 13% of Spanish municipalities and occupying only 0.017% of the total surface area of ​​the country. Thus, the 46 new wind farms and their corresponding 395 wind turbines installed in 2022 have been located in greater proportion in Castilla y la Mancha, which added 837 MW; Aragón, with 492 MW; and Castilla y León, with 105 MW. According to the Wind Business Association itself, this investment effort has translated into a direct benefit for Spanish citizens, who, in addition to enjoying energy that is respectful of the environment and its direct impact on the environment, have experienced a total saving of €8.252 billion on their electricity bills. The reducing effect of Spanish wind power is estimated at €31.25/MWh, reducing the average electricity bill by 18%.

A sector with a bright present and an even brighter future

Furthermore, the Spanish wind industry has more than 250 manufacturing centers spread across the seventeen autonomous communities, boasting a comprehensive supply chain and allowing the country to become a leader in wind turbine manufacturing thanks to a manufacturing capacity of 4,000 MW per year; which generates direct employment for 32,000 people. A figure that, according to the AEE itself, is expected to double by 2030. Added to this is a large group of energy sector suppliers with decades of experience, such as Ormazabal and its 30 years of wind energy experience, and an energy business network with companies such as Iberdrola, Acciona Energía and Naturgy -among others-.

Based on the sector’s own forecasts, Spain will add a total of 7.2 GW of wind energy by 2025, with another 5 GW to be added by 2027 to reach 12.2 GW of new wind capacity by 2027; which would make the Spanish market one of the most active and attractive on the entire continent. An effort that would bring the figures for the Spanish wind sector closer to the installation capacity established in the PNIEC, reaching 50.3 GW of installed wind power by 2030.