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Germany's wind boom continues. The 821 MW of new wind plant installed from January to June this year was provided by 673 wind turbines, bringing the country's total for the first six months to 6916 MW, reports Bundesverband Windenergie (BWE), the German wind energy association. By the end of the year, installations are predicted to exceed 2000 MW. If expansion continues at this rate to 2005, notes BWE, wind energy will contribute one quarter of the 80 million tonne cut in CO2 emissions Germany has pledged to over the period. Federal environment minister Jürgen Trittin praises wind developments as a "visible sign" that Germany is serious about its change of course in the energy sector and is taking practical steps towards climate protection. Of the main wind turbine suppliers, Enercon has supplied 39% of the new capacity, Vestas 14.1%, NEG Micon 10%, Enron Wind, 9.3% and Nordex 8.1%, BWE reports.