Accumulated wind energy capacity in Germany totalled around 8,750 megawatt by end-2001 and accounted for almost 3.5 percent of Germany's electricity need.

"The boom in wind energy will continue in the coming years," BWE said in a statement. "Further installation of onshore turbines generating 5,000 megawatt seems realistic by the end of 2004", it said.

Germany is by far the largest wind power market in the world ahead of Spain and the United States. Wind energy is a fast growing market worldwide as countries try to bring down green house gas emissions, which scientists say cause global warming.

Installed wind turbines in the U.S. generated 1,694 megawatt last year, up from 732 megawatt the year before, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) said this week.

German private-owned wind turbine maker Enercon held 28.5 percent of the market of installed megawatt last year, up from 27.4 percent in 2000.

The world's leading turbine maker Danish Vestas Wind Systems gained terrain in Germany where its market share rose to 19.5 percent from 13.2 the previous year.

German-Danish Nordex' share increased to 10.4 percent from 8.8 percent, while Enron Wind, a unit of troubled U.S. energy group Enron , lost market share to 10.9 percent from 14.9 percent the year before.