Newly established wind power isn't being impacted to any noteworthy degree by the ongoing pandemic. In any case, a far greater number of installations have been completed than initially forecast in the light of the virus crisis that continues to grip the world.

According to the latest market outlook published Thursday by the the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), 71.3 GW of wind capacity will expectedly be installed during 2020, despite the effects of Covid-19.

This amounts to a reduction of merely 6 percent compared to pre-pandemic prognoses. That's also a substantial increase relative to the original forecasts on the pandemic's significance that predicted a fall of up to 20 percent in new installations.

"While the Covid-19 crisis has impacted every industry across the world, wind power has continued to grow and thrive. This is no surprise given the cost competitiveness of wind energy and the need to rapidly reproduce carbon emissions," writes Ben Backwell, chief executive of GWEC, in a statement on the report.

Offshore wind has been largely shielded from negative effects of the global health crisis. GWEC has upgraded its outlook and now expects 6.5 GW in new capacity installed during 2020 – an increase of 5 percent.

Meanwhile, the council also foresees growth in the offshore segment over the next five years, with 348 GW set up in 2020-'24, which would pump the global wind capacity total almost up to 1 TW by the end of 2024.

"Thanks to the localized nature of wind power supply chains and project construction, the sector has continued to generate billions in local investment and thousands of jobs to support economic recovery," Blackwell says and continues:

"However, in order to tap into the full potential of wind power to drive a green recovery, governments must ensure that energy markets and policies allow a continued ramp up in investment in wind and other renewables, while disincentivizing investment in expensive and declining fossil fuel industries."

English Edit: Daniel Frank Christensen

OREAC forecasts 1,400 GW offshore wind by 2050

GWEC to politicians: Look beyond LCOE