Brussels, 03/02/2010 (Agence Europe) - According to statistics published on 3 February by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), more new wind power capacity was installed in the EU in 2009 than any other electricity-generating technology for the second year running. Of all new capacity installed in 2009, 39% was wind power, followed by gas (26%) and solar photovoltaics (16%). Europe decommissioned more coal and nuclear capacity than it installed in 2009. Taken together, renewable energy technologies account for 61% of new power generating capacity in 2009. Investment in new European wind farms in 2009 reached €13 billion, including €1.5 billion offshore. Across the European Union 10,163 MW of wind power capacity was installed - a 23% increase compared to 2008 installations - made up of 9,581 MW onshore (up 21% from last year) and 582 MW offshore (up 56% from last year). The countries with the biggest share of new capacity installed in 2009 were Spain (24% - 2459 MW), followed by Germany (19% - 1917 MW), Italy (11% - 1114 MW), France (11% - 1088 MW) and the UK (10% - 1077 MW). Wind power's total capacity in the European Union has now reached 74,767 MW, up from 64,719 MW by the end of 2008, with Germany remaining the EU country with the largest installed capacity, followed by Spain, Italy, France and the UK. The wind capacity installed by the end of 2009 will in a normal year produce 163 TWh of electricity, meeting 4.8% of total EU power demand. (E.H./transl.fl)