News - Europe

April 27, 2012 – Brazil’s Wind Power Section Jumped 63% in 2011

With a 63% increase in installed wind capacity last year, Brazil continues turning to the emissions-free generating technology to help the nation diversify its power mix and satisfy a growing electricity demand.

Recent evidence of this rapid expansion occurred just last week when Alstom was awarded a contract worth an estimated €130 million to supply and install turbines at four wind farms in the southern part of the nation.

Due for completion in the state of Rio Grande do Sul next year, Odebrecht Energia’s new wind farms — Corredor do Senandes II, III and IV, and Vento Aragano I — are expected to have a total capacity of 108 MW.

Two weeks earlier, EDP Renováveis Brasil announced that the new Tramandaí wind farm, also in Rio Grande do Sul, has an installed capacity of 70 MW, enough energy to supply a city of more than 200,000 people.

Although agriculture, manufacturing and mining have traditionally been key drivers of Brazil’s economy, the two announcements are symbolic of the country’s determined effort to develop wind power for its estimated 204 million residents.

Recognising that fact, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), in its “Annual Market Update,” released last week at the EWEA 2012 Annual Event in Copenhagen, said Brazil had a total installed wind capacity of 1,509 MW by the end of last year and a 56% increase in terms of annual market growth.

GWEC’s report also noted that Brazil, the biggest nation and economy in South America, has more than 7,000 MW of wind energy in the pipeline to be completed by the end 2016.

According to GWEC’s statistics, Brazil is far and away the leader in installed wind capacity in both Latin America and the Caribbean, accounting for far more than half of the wind energy installed in the two regions.

GWEC added Brazil’s dynamic wind power sector has “attracted many manufacturers and component suppliers to establish factories” to supply both the nation and neighboring regional markets.

“Brazil is one of the most promising onshore markets for wind energy, for at least the next five years,” the GWEC report said. “The country’s support framework and the sector’s experience have been adapted to meet local conditions. This put Brazil in an excellent position to be the regional leader in wind energy generation and development.”

WEC warned, however, that a new regulatory framework that would provide certainty, legal security in the processing of projects, and a support system to further enhance competitiveness are needed if Brazil is to achieve long-term sustained wind power growth.

(Reprinted with permission from the European Wind Energy Association. For additional news, please visit www.ewea.org.)

April 25, 2012 – Donald Could Be Trumped By Public Support for Wind Energy

Anti-wind protestors in the UK have been dealt a blow by a series of polls which show strong support for clean energy, continued renewables subsidies, and for a decrease in reliance on burning fossil fuels like gas.

New York tycoon Donald Trump is one of the more prominent wind critics, as he seeks to develop a golf course in Aberdeenshire in Scotland. Today Trump is appearing in front of Holyrood’s Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee to claim that turbines will affect the tourism industry and that wind power cannot survive without subsidies.

The flamboyant businessman is up against the results of a YouGov poll for Scottish Renewables which found that 72% of adults in Scotland support wind power. In a survey of over 1,000 people, nearly two in five (39%) said they strongly agreed with the statement, “I support the continuing development of wind power as part of a mix of renewables and conventional forms of electricity generation”, and a further 33% said they tended to agree.

These sentiments were echoed around the UK in the past week, with almost nine in 10 people wanting the government to ramp up the UK’s use of clean domestic energy and reduce the country’s reliance on imported gas according to another YouGov poll, initiated by Friends of the Earth. Only 2% of the 2,884 people questioned backed an increase in gas capacity.

Another poll, this time by Ipsos-Mori for Renewable UK, found that 43% of Britons regard subsidies for wind power as good value for money. Only 18% of those surveyed did not. It also found that 66% were either “strongly in favor of” or “tended to favor” the technology, against just 8% who were opposed. Two-thirds also found turbines’ impact on the landscape acceptable. Asked why they approved of wind power, a majority of respondents said it was because it helps curb greenhouse gas emissions, helps tackle climate change, and contributes to the UK’s energy security.

The UK government is feeling the pressure to live up to its election-time pledge to be the “greenest-government ever”, as only 2% of the public believe it is living up the promise. Another factor is the ambitious target of 100% renewable energy for Scotland by 2020, announced by the Scottish parliament last year. On Thursday 26 April David Cameron is expected to announce “a major policy intervention” regarding his green policies – and he knows the British public is watching.

(Reprinted with permission from the European Wind Energy Association. For additional news, please visit www.ewea.org.)

April 24, 2012 – Better Health, More Money, New Jobs: a 30% Climate Target

It sounds almost too good to be true, but Europe could save €20 billion on fuel costs, improve its air quality and create up to 1.5 million new jobs, according to a new report. How? By moving to a higher climate target for 2020.

The European Commission report looked at the impact of moving to a target for a 30% cut in greenhouse gas emissions. Due to the financial crisis and industry slow-down, the current target – for a 20% cut – has become easy to reach.

The report compared the impact a 30% target would have on the different EU countries. It found that the poorer countries could benefit the most. For example, one option would be richer countries having their “carbon emissions allowances” (permits to emit a certain amount of carbon) reduced.

This would mean the price of a carbon allowance would go up, and the poorer countries would benefit from the higher price without losing allowances.

A 30% target is achievable, EWEA has long argued. Wind energy alone would do 20% of the work, avoiding one-fifth of the necessary emissions in 2020.

For more, see the latest Wind Directions.

(Reprinted with permission from the European Wind Energy Association. For additional news, please visit www.ewea.org.)

April 23, 2012 – What Will the French Elections Mean For Renewables?

Socialist candidate François Hollande may have won the first round of the French elections, but what are his plans for wind energy if he manages to pip Nicholas Sarkozy to head the country in the second round next month. And, if Mr Sarkozy manages to turn the situation around and retain his title, is he likely to support renewables during a second term as the president of France?

Unsurprisingly, renewable energy was not the main consideration of the majority of the French voters on Sunday. Indeed, despite the clear need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and Europe’s commitment to be leader in the fight against climate change, Green candidate Eva Joly received only 2% of the French votes. However, after the initial result was announced, Joly immediately called for her supporters to vote for Hollande in the second round.

While the main thrust of Hollande’s campaign was focused, like that of all the candidates, on the need to help France escape the clutches of the global economic crisis and confront the challenges of globalization, energy was nonetheless a key tenet of his program. He promised that, if elected, he would “preserve the independence of France by diversifying our sources of energy”. This would include “a reduction in the share of nuclear in the production of electricity from 75% to 50% by 2025” and an “increase in the power of renewable energies”. He said that France would likewise “respect its international engagements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions”.

On the other hand, Nicholas Sarkozy confirmed simply that he would support “the choice of nuclear power, energy that emits the least greenhouse gas emissions, in order not to increase the price of electricity bills, while continuing the development of renewable energies”.

In an article published in the French daily Le Monde in October last year, a group of MPs from the “ecological” wing of the Socialist party vaunted the “social-ecology” of François Hollande over the “environmental passivity of the right”. They claimed that after 10 years of centre-right leadership, “France invests nine times less than Germany and five times less than China in clean energy” and highlighted that ”no French business figures among the top 10 producers worldwide of wind turbines or photovoltaic panels”. The politicians rued that in terms of wind production per inhabitant, France lagged in thirteenth place in Europe and highlighted that there was still no offshore production in France – though since then Sarkozy has awarded tenders to build offshore wind farms to produce 2GW of energy. The politicians concluded that only François Hollande could reverse France’s fortunes in the area of renewable energy, and green lobby groups certainly seem to back this thinking. For example, Greenpeace France notes that the Socialist candidate has called for the EU to increase its greenhouse gas emissions target to 30% by 2020, something Sarkozy has refused to support, and rates Hollande as “engaged” in terms of developing alternatives to fossil fuels, while it believes Sarkozy is stuck in the past on this issue.

It now remains to be seen whether Hollande can keep this momentum on 6 May when the final runoff vote will be held and whether, if elected, he keeps his pledges to boost renewable energy in France.

(Reprinted with permission from the European Wind Energy Association. For additional news, please visit www.ewea.org.)

April 23, 2012 – ABB to Build Transmission Link Connecting 111 MW of Offshore Wind Power to Grid

ABB says it has won an order from the Dutch-German transmission grid operator, TenneT, to supply an alternating-current (AC) power transmission link connecting Nordergrunde, an offshore wind farm in the North Sea, to the mainland grid in Germany. The order was booked in the first quarter.

The link has a capacity to transmit 111 MW of wind power - enough to serve the needs of more than 100,000 households - once it is commissioned in 2013, ABB says.

As part of the project, ABB will design, engineer, supply and install the 155 kV land and submarine cable system, the onshore and offshore shunt reactors, the onshore 155 kV/220 kV power transformer and the extension of an existing 220 kV substation.

The cable system comprises 3 km by 4 km of single-core AC land cable and 28 km of three core AC submarine cable with integrated fiber-optics.

This is ABB’s fourth large order from TenneT for offshore wind connections.

(Reposted from www.nawindpower.com with permission, Copyright © 2012 Zackin Publications Inc., All rights reserved. For North American Windpower's latest news headlines or a free subscription, please visit www.nawindpower.com.)

April 20, 2012 – Europe’s Largest Annual Wind Power Conference Sets Impressive Attendance Record

The EWEA Annual Event 2012 in Copenhagen has now drawn to a close. But what were the main messages of the Chairs of the six themed “tracks” – from policy to financing – to the wind energy industry and politicians?

Uncertainty is very high in the market, in particular for the post-2020 years, Jan Serup Hylleberg, Chair of the policies and markets track, said at the final panel session on Thursday. “Long term stability and effective mechanisms are needed from the political side to grow the industry,” he said. Meanwhile, the industry needs to focus on industrialization, innovation and making turbines more intelligent, Henning Kruse, Chair of the technology track, said. The industry has committed to making wind power competitive with fossil fuels within this decade, but it needs the political support to do this, Kruse added.

Justin Wu, Chair of the financing track, said he was “generally optimistic” about financing for the industry, but in order to reach the 2020 targets new sources of financing must be mobilized. Investors need to be made aware of the attraction of wind projects, especially offshore wind, he said.

Excellent science in wind can deliver excellent economic performance, Peter Tavner, Chair of the science and research track, said. But there is a huge need for human capital to succeed, in particular in attracting young people to the industry.

From a grids point of view, Frans van Hulle, Chair of the grid integration track, said that there is no technical limit on how much wind can be integrated into the grid. The industry’s goals are technically feasible but we cannot deliver without transmission and grid integration, he said.

The past week — which has flown by in a flurry of meetings, debates, slide shows and discussions — also saw EWEA’s annual conference creating a new record: 10,281 people registered for the event and more than 500 people exhibited their products and services. To say it was busy would be an understatement.
Malgosia Bartosik, EWEA’s Membership & Events Director, was visibly pleased at how well the conference and exhibition turned out. Praising her staff for all their hard work, Bartosik said she had received many compliments on how sophisticated and professional the conference was.

“Just walking around the Bella Centre facility it was apparent that something quite special was happening inside,” Bartosik said. “People were challenging themselves to get more involved in the wind sector, people were networking and meeting new colleagues, people were laughing. Overall, it was quite an uplifting experience.”

Sue Mills, of the UK investment promotion agency Locate in Kent, was also pleased with the event. Mills, who is involved in promoting the County of Kent as a strategic place for the growing offshore wind energy to locate and expand operations in, said this year’s conference was the first time her organization had attended the EWEA Annual Event. She added she fully expects to attend future EWEA conferences.

“We’ve never exhibited abroad before in a wind exhibition so it’s really created fantastic exposure to an international market,” Mills said. “We’ve had an enormous interest.”

(Reprinted with permission from the European Wind Energy Association. For additional news, please visit www.ewea.org.)

April 20, 2012 – New Project Aims to Reduce Offshore Wind Turbine Downtime

Global marine technology company Kongsberg Maritime is working on what it calls the Windsense project, which aims to develop a new and flexible instrumentation system for wind turbines.

According to the company, the system will help to make wind power more economically competitive. The project, which will cost around NOK 22 million ($3.85 million), has been initiated through collaboration within the Norwegian Centres of Expertise Instrumentation.

The goal of the project is to develop a system that will make wind turbines more effective by reducing unplanned shutdowns. The system also aims to make it possible to temporarily run the turbines at a lower capacity in anticipation of required maintenance, which further reduces downtime.

“We hope that this project will help to make offshore wind power more competitive and thus help to facilitate a green Norwegian economy in the future,” says project manager Oddbjorn Malmo. “This system will primarily be an instrument for monitoring the technical condition of the wind turbine and the life cycle of the components used. It will make it possible to more accurately predict when the equipment must be replaced.

The project has been awarded NOK 10 million from The Norwegian Research Council’s RENERGI program.

(Reposted from www.nawindpower.com with permission, Copyright © 2012 Zackin Publications Inc., All rights reserved. For North American Windpower's latest news headlines or a free subscription, please visit www.nawindpower.com.)

April 19, 2012 – Survey Shows Strong Support for Wind Power in the U.K.

New research shows strong support for wind power in the U.K., according to a survey conducted by Ipsos MORI for RenewableUK.

According to the survey, 67% of the U.K. public favors the use of wind power, and 28% are strongly in favor of wind farms. Only 8% oppose wind power, and just 3% strongly oppose it.

A majority (57%) say the appearance of wind farms on the landscape is acceptable, while 20% say it is "completely acceptable."

"That the majority of people find wind farms ugly has long been a myth propagated by a small minority,” says Maria McCaffery, chief executive of RenewableUK. “This research has shown that a majority find the look of wind farms acceptable.

“I hope that those who have recently tried to stifle the good support that wind energy has from the government listen to this majority view and ask themselves why they are supporting a minority movement that threatens the jobs and investment that the wind energy industry is bringing to the United Kingdom," she adds.

(Reposted from www.nawindpower.com with permission, Copyright © 2012 Zackin Publications Inc., All rights reserved. For North American Windpower's latest news headlines or a free subscription, please visit www.nawindpower.com.)

April 19, 2012 – EU Ministers Must Stop the Flood of CO2 Emissions Allowances

The carbon price must be urgently boosted to fix the EU's Emissions Trading System and fight climate change. EU environment ministers discussed raising the carbon price in the ETS at their informal meeting in Horsens, Denmark today.

The carbon market is currently overflowing with spare emissions allowances due to the economic crisis, which has sent the carbon price down. The most effective way of pushing the price back up would be by avoiding too many allowances coming onto the market in the coming years.

"The EU ministers need to ensure no more emissions allowances are put on the market. This must be included in the Energy Efficiency Directive, currently being negotiated between the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament, where decisions can be taken by a majority of Member States. This directive is the only upcoming legislative opportunity to push such a measure", commented Rémi Gruet, Senior Regulatory Affairs Advisor for the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA).

The European Parliament supports such a move: it voted by a significant majority in favor of withholding carbon allowances in the ETS in a report on the low carbon roadmap 2050 in February. There is widespread support from energy companies and the wind energy industry for such a move.

(Reprinted with permission from the European Wind Energy Association. For additional news, please visit www.ewea.org.)

April 19, 2012 – Europe’s Emerging Wind Power Markets Continue to Grow Even with Obstacles

Despite the ongoing financial crisis, emerging wind energy markets in Europe are expected to significantly increase installed wind power capacity by 2020, a panel session at the EWEA 2012 Annual Event in Copenhagen heard on Thursday.

Peter Brun, of Vestas, told people attending the session — Emerging European Markets: Resilient In The Crisis? — that Eastern European wind power markets are expected to make up more than 30% of annual onshore additions in Europe within 12 years time.

Brun said emerging markets in Poland, Romania and Turkey are being driven by energy security concerns and rising power demands along with relatively fair support schemes.

Arkadiusz Sekscinski, Deputy Director of the Polish Wind Energy Association, said Poland wants to have at least 5 GW of wind energy capacity by 2020.

According to a recent EWEA report — Wind In Power: 2011 Statistics — the Polish wind industry installed 436 MW in 2011, bringing its total installed capacity to 1,616 MW.

Another recent report, by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), said Poland is set to continue its healthy wind power development with an average annual growth of 500 MW.

Dana Duica, Executive Director of the Romanian Wind Energy Association, said as of last month 1,140 MW of wind energy had been installed in Romania. Duica said estimates suggest the nation will have 2,800 MW installed by the end of 2013.

Duica said there are a number of significant challenges to developing the sector in Romania, including the need for an improved grid and a stable legal framework.

EWEA’s statistics indicate Romania installed 520 MW of wind energy last year, bringing its total installed capacity to 982 MW.

In its Annual Market Update 2011, GWEC said Romania was the leader among Europe’s emerging markets last year, installing 520 MW. “The country has a significant development pipeline and will soon be the 16th European country to pass the 1 GW mark,” the report said.

Yuksel Malkoc, Vice President of the Turkey Wind Energy Association, said the nation has the wind potential of 48,000 MW, 37,836 MW of which could be onshore wind capacity.

Malkoc said Turkey, which is aiming for 10 GW of installed wind power by 2020, had about 1.7 GW installed by last year.

The EWEA statistics show that Turkey installed 470 MW in 2011.

The GWEC report said Turkey, with limited oil and gas reserves and an expanding population, is increasingly turning to wind power and other renewables to improve its energy security and curb dependence on imported fossil fuels.

GWEC also pointed out that the biggest obstacles to wind development in Turkey are the complex and bureaucratic administrative procedures.

(Reprinted with permission from the European Wind Energy Association. For additional news, please visit www.ewea.org.)

April 18, 2012 – Financing Offshore Wind Farms Requires New Capital Sources

The continuing economic crisis has created a need for alternative sources of capital for the renewable energy sector, people attending a panel session at the EWEA 2012 Annual Event in Copenhagen heard on Wednesday. Torben Pedersen, of PensionDanmark, also said there are considerable pressures on public finances due to debt issues and on the banking sector and private investors due to the economic crisis (read an interview with Torben Pedersen in the latest Wind Directions).

As a result, Pedersen said, alternative sources of capital like pension funds may help finance large-scale investments in green infrastructure. He told the panel session — Outlook for Project Finance: The Next Three Years — that about €150 billion is needed to advance the offshore wind sector in northern Europe in the next decade.

Pedersen said new models for financing large projects and a different approach to sharing risks also need to be explored as a result of the economic crisis. He said his organization, which last year managed assets of €16 billion, and another pension fund recently acquired a 50% interest in the 400 MW Anholt offshore wind farm for €800 million.

Located in northeastern Denmark, Anholt is expected to be completed late next year, using 111 3.6 MW wind turbines. Pedersen said the wind farm, co-owned by Dong Energy, would provide stable returns and limited risk. He added PensionDanmark intends to invest in other offshore wind farms and other renewable energy projects.

The moderator of the panel session, Michael Liebreich of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, said companies are experiencing a difficult economic climate right now. Liebreich said the total amount invested in clean energy during the first quarter of this year was the weakest amount since the depths of the financial crisis in early 2009.

Bloomberg New Energy Finance reported last week that new financial investments in clean energy were down 28% from the final quarter of 2011 to just €21bn and was 22% lower than the equivalent figure in the first quarter of last year.

How Do You Install a Wind Farm?

As turbines get bigger and bigger, and are installed at ever-greater depths at sea, the logistical challenges behind installation only get greater, attendees at another session at EWEA 2012 in Copenhagen heard this morning.

Marcus Wübbleman said that for the Fintendele wind farm in Romania turbine components are sourced from seven different countries across the globe from Germany to China. Global sourcing increases the complexities of the supply chain, Wübbleman said, adding that ocean transport within Europe takes one to three weeks, but that increases to about eight weeks for components sourced from outside the continent.

Kaj Lindvig from A2SEA predicted that “before 2020 we will see the first 10 MW turbines”. Moreover, by 2016 rotor diameters will stretch to 155 metres – bigger than four football fields and larger than the London Eye, he said. Bigger turbines at deeper locations require heavier foundations and greater widths between the foundation legs. Moreover, special vessels are required to transport foundations and turbines. But Lindvig didn’t foresee any problems in terms of building new vessels, turbines and foundations.

“Northern Europe is really going from oil to wind – in countries like the UK and Denmark there is less and less oil every year,” he said.

(Reprinted with permission from the European Wind Energy Association. For additional news, please visit www.ewea.org.)

April 17, 2012 – Global Wind Power Market is Expected to More Than Double in Next Five Years

Asia will continue to drive global growth in wind power markets during the next several years, the European market will remain solid but the North American market will be uncertain and volatile.

That was the prediction by Steve Sawyer, Secretary General of the Global Wind Energy Council, at the EWEA 2012 Annual Event in Copenhagen panel session that was held on Tuesday to discuss future changes in the international electricity-generating sector.

Referring to GWEC’s just-released Annual Market Update report, Sawyer said he expects total global installations for the next five years of about 255 GW and total cumulative capacity of 493 GW.

According to GWEC statistics, there was nearly 238 GW of global installed capacity by the end of 2011, representing cumulative market growth of more than 20%. Regionally, the EU had almost 94 GW of installed wind power capacity by the end of last year, Asia had just over 82 GW and North America had nearly 53 GW.

Sawyer said he expects a strong 2012 for the global wind sector but uncertainty over whether the US government will extend its Production Tax Credit (PTC) for the wind sector will likely result in reduced results for 2013.

Asia Set to Overtake Europe

He added that GWEC statistics indicate that the Asian wind power sector will overtake the EU in terms of cumulative capacity for the first time in 2013. Those statistics also reveal that by 2013 Asia will have 125 GW of wind power while the EU will have 120 GW. North America will have 72 GW by the same time.

Daniel Shreve, of Make Consulting, told the audience that a US wind power market downturn is a “virtual certainty” in 2013 because of uncertainty over the PTC and the fact that the nation has been dealing with slow economic growth, slacking power demand and low natural gas prices.

Shreve said that in 2009 the US represented 90% of the wind power sector in North and South America. That, he added, will likely drop to only 53% of total market share by 2016 as Brazil, Canada and Mexico rapidly add more capacity.

He said there are still plenty of export opportunities into the South American wind market and growth while increased Canadian growth is especially expected in Ontario and Quebec.

Chuichi Arakawa, of the Japanese Wind Energy Association, said wind power should become much more prominent in Japan after an earthquake and tsunami last year devastated a nuclear power plant in Fukushima.

Arakawa said Japan, which had 2.5 GW of installed wind power capacity by the end of 2011, has a potential value of 280 GW of onshore wind and up to 1,600 GW offshore.

He also said the national government is examining a proposal that would see 10% of the nation’s electricity supplied by wind power by 2050. That proposal suggests, he said, that Japan could have 11 GW of wind power by 2020 and 50 GW by 2050.

Arakawa added that national public opinion has dramatically changed from pro-nuclear to pro-renewables since the Fukushima disaster.

Kites – the Future of Wind Energy?

Meanwhile, at another well-attended session at EWEA 2012 – the ‘hardware quickfire’ – 15 speakers had one minute slots to present a new technological idea. The audience then voted for their favorite presentation and four speakers won the right to give ten minute presentations.

One of the most interesting ideas to emerge was kite wind energy. 60% of the energy produced by a typical wind turbine comes from the tip of the blade, so why not do without the turbine tower and the majority of the blade with a kite concept? Udo Zillmann of Daidalos Captial asked.

And the idea is not just pie in the sky, even Google have invested in a start-up company. Should attendees at the EWEA Annual Event be watching this space?

(Reprinted with permission from the European Wind Energy Association. For additional news, please visit www.ewea.org.)

April 17, 2012 – “Investment in Grids Will Create Jobs,” Says Danish Energy Minister

Modernising Europe’s energy infrastructure is “vital” for achieving Europe’s climate and energy targets, Danish Minister Lidegaard told Wind Directions magazine recently.

Huge investments of up to €200 billion by 2020 are needed, but they will contribute to a stable energy supply, a competitive internal market for electricity and help fight climate change, as well as creating jobs, the Climate and Energy Minister said.

The significant size of the investments will require “a new approach” to the way energy infrastructure is regulated and financed, he also said.

Above all, “cross border thinking is essential” for progress on grid infrastructure, as long as national differences are respected.

The Danish government would like to make the maximum progress on the infrastructure issue and draft legislation published last October by the European Commission during its six month EU Presidency, the Minister added:

“Everyone is committed to progress and we therefore hope to mature some of the major issues leaving as few issues open as possible.”

Read the full interview .

(Reprinted with permission from the European Wind Energy Association. For additional news, please visit www.ewea.org.)

April 16, 2012 – Wind Energy Sector Growing Over Twice as Fast as EU Economy

Quotes from the opening session at EWEA 2012 Annual Event in Copenhagen:

“Focusing on the role of wind power for our sustainable future makes good sense from both an environmental and an economic perspective”.
Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark

''The green agenda is both about job creation in the short run and climate protection in the long run''.
Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Denmark

“Transforming the energy system makes economic sense”.
EU Commissioner for Energy Günther Oettinger.

The wind energy industry increased its contribution to the EU’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 33% between 2007 and 2010. In 2010, the industry’s growth was twice that of the EU’s GDP overall, with the sector contributing €32 billion to an EU economy in slowdown.

Key figures from the ‘Green Growth’ report released today by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) include:

  • The wind energy sector contributed €32 billion to EU GDP in 2010
  • The sector’s contribution to GDP grew by 33% from 2007 to 2010
  • The sector created 30% more jobs from 2007 to 2010 to reach nearly 240,000, while EU unemployment rose by 9.6% . By 2020, there should be 520,000 jobs in the sector.
  • The sector was a net exporter of €5.7 billion worth of goods and services in 2010
  • The sector avoided €5.71 billion of fuel costs in 2010
  • The sector invested 5% of its spending in R&D – three times more than the EU average. Wind turbine manufacturers commit around 10% of their total turnover to R&D.

“Wind energy is a recession-busting industry. It is countering the recession – providing increasing economic activity, more jobs and exports every year to an EU struggling with an economic crisis intensified by ever increasing amounts of fuel being imported at rising costs to European citizens,” said Arthouros Zervos, President of EWEA.

In future the wind energy sector is set to do even more: by 2020 its contribution to GDP will have increased almost three-fold. If the industry were a Member State, it would rank 19th in 2020 in terms of its contribution to EU GDP, above Slovakia and just below Hungary, and the number of jobs will go up by over 200% to reach 520,000 by then, says the report. By 2030 the number of jobs could go up to 795,000.

However, to ensure wind energy brings the increased economic benefits it should in future, certain things are needed:

  • Stable national renewable energy frameworks, and ambitious implementation of 2020 requirements at national level
  • A post-2020 energy policy with a binding renewables target for 2030
  • A joined up European power grid and single energy market
  • A more ambitious 30% greenhouse gas reduction target for 2020
  • Sufficient and dedicated EU funding for wind energy research

“EWEA’s new report shows that wind energy has become a significant factor for jobs and growth in Europe”, commented Felix Ferlemann, CEO of Siemens Wind Power.

(Reprinted with permission from the European Wind Energy Association. For additional news, please visit www.ewea.org.)

April 16, 2012 – Trying to Determine Europe’s Energy Mix in 2020 is No Easy Task

What do you think the energy landscape might look like in just eight years time – which electricity-generating technology will win-out on the energy battlefield? That was the tough question speakers at a panel discussion at the EWEA Annual Event on Monday debated.

While persuasive arguments were made by those speaking at the session — called “Post 2020: Which Technologies Will Deliver? — it became obvious that providing increasing amounts of affordable and local green electricity while rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions isn’t likely going to depend on only one of the technologies.

Starting the session off, EWEA CEO Christian Kjaer noted that the EU imports 54% of its energy supplies since it has less than 1% of proven global oil reserves, about 2% of gas reserves and approximately 3.5% of coal reserves.

As a result, Kjaer added, the total sent out of Europe for energy imports each year is equivalent to each EU citizen paying €700.

He said the EU has to build about 350 GW of new electricity generating capacity before 2020 and increase energy imports at ever higher costs. The region is also dealing with ineffective competition in the EU power market and insufficient investment in power infrastructure.

Kjaer added, however, that the quickly-expanding wind power sector is already producing 6.3% of total EU electricity demand.

Noting that nations have lost momentum on global climate change policy in the past three years, Reinhold Buttgereit, the Secretary General of the European Photovoltaic Industry Association, said over 51 GW of PV systems had been installed in Europe by the at the end of 2011.

Simon Blakey of Eurogas predicted the world would notice greenhouse gas concentrations increasing by 2.5 to 3 parts per million for the next eight years but said that gas offers a fast and cost-effective way of reducing carbon in the energy mix. “We can not underestimate the seriousness of the challenge that lies in front of us,” Blakey said, adding there is a limit as to how much wind and solar power electrical systems can absorb.

Earlier in the day, Arthouros Zervos, EWEA President, noted that wind has achieved a level of grid integration that was previously thought impossible. For those who think wind can’t deliver the energy we need, consider this: Denmark produces 26% of its electricity from wind (and is aiming for 50% by 2020), Spain 16%, Portugal 16% and Germany 10%.

Paolo Frankl, of the International Energy Agency, said the Paris-based organisation still believes in nuclear power despite last year’s disaster at the nuclear reactor in Fukushima, Japan.

Summing up the session, panel moderator Patrick Dixon declared that none of the electricity-generating technologies would by themselves meet all of Europe’s increasing power needs while helping to mitigate climate change.

Europe on Track to Meet 2020 Targets

Meanwhile, Europe’s target for a 20% share of renewable energy in the overall energy mix by 2020 was the hot topic at another EWEA 2012 session with Joachim Balke from the European Commission reporting that most member states have already met their interim targets. However, future interim targets are set to get more and more challenging as 2020 approaches, with increasingly high installment rates needed to meet the 2020 targets.

The annual rate of capital investment in renewables was €35 billion in 2009 and this needs to double by 2020, Balke said. We also need stable national support schemes for renewables: “Retroactive changes to support schemes are very unhelpful,” he said.

Africa Needs Different Types of Turbine

At yet another session Alex De Broe from 3E turned his attention to Africa.

Wind power is developing in Morocco, Egypt, South Africa and Ethiopia but a different type of machine is needed to the ones promoted in Europe – one that takes into account the lack of investment, lack of access roads, cranes and electricity grids. Turbines need to be smaller, lighter and connected on local scales, he said. Wind power can be a solution in an area that has the world’s lowest access rates to electricity, he added.

(Reprinted with permission from the European Wind Energy Association. For additional news, please visit www.ewea.org.)

April 16, 2012 – Political Commitment to Wind Energy is Vital for Green Growth

“This is the place to be for renewable energy and green growth”, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Prime Minister of Denmark, said in Copenhagen this morning at the opening of the European Wind Energy Association’s Annual Event. And with 25,000 jobs in the Danish wind sector, which provides 60 billion in Danish Kroner in exports per year, she’s not wrong.

Denmark is a bright beacon for the wind industry – by 2020 it aims to meet 50% of its electricity demand with wind power – a target which will create 8,000 new jobs. But whilst Denmark’s commitment to a greener future remains resolute, across Europe other countries are swapping long-term vision for short-term gain.

“In a crisis, political priorities tend to shift – the long term gives away to short term goals and the danger is that green ambitions are lowered,” she warned. But “my government believes that the green agenda is about jobs in the short term, and the climate and fuel security in the long run,” the prime minister said to a packed auditorium at EWEA’s Annual Event.

“We need to scale up our investments in Europe’s green sector. We need to secure the necessary political target in Brussels and then together we can transform the European economy into a green superpower,” she said.

Speaking at the EWEA 2012 opening session, Günther Oettinger, European Commissioner for Energy, echoed Prime Minister Thorning-Schmidt’s concerns. Cutting government support for renewable energy has negative consequences, he said. In these difficult economic times, “renewables support has been used by a scapegoat by governments in economic or financial difficulties. However public deficits are not caused by support for renewables” he said. “We therefore want to pick up on this in the renewable energy strategy that we will publish before the summer,” he promised.

Wind Power Must Innovate

But it’s not just about support schemes, it’s also about innovations that the wind industry itself can create to bring down costs. Europe is close to reaching 100 GW wind energy capacity, supplying power to 50 million households, Felix Ferlemann, EWEA conference chair and CEO of Siemens Wind Power, said. And the industry has a target of supplying 50% of Europe’s electricity demand by 2050. “We must make wind power directly competitive with traditional energy sources…I am confident that this will happen in the next decade,” Ferlemann said. Arthuros Zervos, EWEA President, said in his speech at the opening session that “Onshore wind is already competitive with new gas and coal – and considerably cheaper than new nuclear”.

At the start of this year’s Annual Event, opened by Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, innovation is the buzz word that is getting people talking. The conference itself is aiming to be innovative with new lively and popular sessions including one designed like an Oxford debate inviting participants to vote for and against motions on competition from China and securing finance and investment for wind. Are you missing out on the innovation buzz? Find out here how you can attend the Annual Event conference and/or exhibition in Copenhagen.

100% Clean Energy in Europe by 2020

Also this morning at EWEA 2012, a wide coalition of engineering, energy and technology companies along with civil society organizations, presented to Martin Lidegaard, Danish minister for energy, a declaration calling for 100% clean energy in Europe by 2050.

More than 300 signatories, including Vestas , Schneider Electric and EWEA, presented the “100% renewables declaration” that envisions by mid-century stronger energy efficiencies, investments to unlock the full potential of renewables, better incentives for a smart energy grid and an end to fossil fuel and nuclear subsidies.

“Confronted not only with an economic downturn, but in particular with the challenges posed by climate change, an increasing fuel import dependency and rising fossil fuel prices, Europe urgently needs to develop solutions for a future sustainable energy system entirely based on renewable energy sources,” the declaration said.

Lidegaard said he would share the declaration calling for an entirely clean energy future with policy makers debating the issue.“I think it’s doable, I think it’s necessary and it’s also good for the economy,” he said.

What else does the wind industry need? Grid infrastructure and a single European energy market! Read more here.

Get more facts on how wind energy is powering Europe’s economy here (full report here). Read the declaration.

(Reprinted with permission from the European Wind Energy Association. For additional news, please visit www.ewea.org.)

April 12, 2012 – U.K.-Based Company Awarded Grant to Develop Offshore Wind Safety Tech

Engineering company OSBIT Power (OP) says it has been confirmed as a successful bidder in a project to support manufacturers developing next-generation offshore wind technology.

The U.K. government has awarded OP a grant of 615,000 British pounds to help develop its MaXccess offshore wind access technology to facilitate safe personnel transfer from the larger dynamically positioned vessels that are expected to be used on future offshore wind projects.

The funding is being made under the U.K. Department of Energy and Climate Change and the Technology Strategy Board’s Offshore Wind Component Technologies Development and Demonstration Scheme, which aims to support innovative companies to develop and demonstrate novel technologies that will lead to cost reduction in offshore wind energy, and increase deployment levels by 2020 and in the following decade.

“For future offshore wind projects, larger vessels will be needed, operating further from shore, in more difficult sea conditions,” explains Tony Trapp, OP’s CEO. “To meet the challenge of gaining access to turbines from these vessels, OP is developing MaXccess - Heavy Boat System (HBS). MaXccess HBS builds on the technology developed in the current MaXccess system, to allow operation from dynamically positioned vessels that are too large to contact turbines directly.”

(Reposted from www.nawindpower.com with permission, Copyright © 2012 Zackin Publications Inc., All rights reserved. For North American Windpower's latest news headlines or a free subscription, please visit www.nawindpower.com.)

April 11, 2012 – EU Wind Power Industry: 520,000 Employed by 2020

The European wind power industry’s contribution to EU economic growth will increase almost threefold over the decade by 2020. More than half a million people will be working for the wind power industry in Europe by 2020.

The sector has been proven to be a powerful motor against economic slowdown in Europe. This will be shown on Monday 16 April 2012, as the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) presents its latest report “Green Growth - The Impact of Wind Energy on Jobs and The Economy”, published at the EWEA 2012 Annual Event in Copenhagen. The report analyses the sector’s contribution to GDP and job creation now and in future, with forecasts for 2020 and 2030. The EWEA 2012 Annual Event will be opened in Copenhagen by the Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, with 10,000 participants expected to come.

Denmark’s Energy and Climate Minister Martin Lidegaard will chair a debate on the EU Energy Roadmap to 2030, with Presidents and Chief Executive Officers of Acciona Windpower, Dong Energy, GE Renewable Energy, Iberdrola Renewables, RES Group, Siemens, Vattenfall and Vestas.

More than 100 journalists from all over the world have registered so far. The Global Wind Energy Council will publish its latest Global Market Report while Chief Executive Officers of wind energy associations from Europe, the US, China, India, Brazil, South Africa and Japan will explain the latest wind power industry developments in their countries.

(Reprinted with permission from the European Wind Energy Association. For additional news, please visit www.ewea.org.)

April 11, 2012 – France to Build 2 GW of Offshore Wind Power as Costs of Nuclear Exposed

Long reliant on nuclear as its chief source of energy, France is having to think long and hard about its energy strategy in the face of increasing public questioning about the safety of nuclear after the Fukushima disaster and greater evidence about the potential future high financial costs of the technology. The decision by the French government late last week to award tenders to build offshore wind farms to produce 2 GW of energy suggests that wind power is high up the Elysée’s list of alternatives to nuclear.

French energy minister Eric Besson said the decision would create up to 10,000 new jobs and “position France among the leaders of the offshore industry,” when making the announcement that a consortium led by energy giant EDF and engineering firm Alstom had won a bid to build three wind farms off the coast of northern France. Spanish energy firm Iberdrola and French engineering giant Areva secured the rights to build a fourth farm, he said. The two consortia are expected to invest around €7 billion to install 2GW of offshore wind energy capacity, according to Besson.

The French government had originally announced plans for 3 GW of new offshore wind capacity and Besson said a second tender round would be launched later in the year. This round is also likely to include a fifth site, which was not awarded during the first tender round despite an application from engineering firms Siemens and GDF Suez. According to tender criteria, projects were to be chosen on a range of criteria, weighted 40% towards price, 40% on the benefits to industry and 20% on the impact on the environment. There was insufficient competition in bids for the fifth site, according to the energy ministry.

Henri Proglio, CEO of EDF, said his company’s success “represents the beginning of a new industrial adventure in renewable energy for France,” while Patrick Kron, CEO of Alstom, said the project “will now set in motion a fully-fledged and lasting industrial sector in France that will finally serve export markets too”.

The three sites will include a total of approximately 240 turbines and orders will run on a site-by-site basis starting in 2014, following completion of feasibility and impact studies for each project, said Alstom.

The French Court of Auditors recently published a report revealing that the cost of producing nuclear energy will surge in France as old plants need updating and new safety standards make new plants much more expensive to construct: Fessenheim, a nuclear plant in the Alsace region built in 1977 cost €1.07 million per MW of capacity whereas the EPR (European Pressurized Reactor) nuclear plant in Flamanville will cost €3.7 million per MW. The cost of producing electricity made in EPR plants like Flamanville will also be significantly more expensive, says the report.

Meanwhile, the French public’s deepening lack of trust of nuclear power was discussed in a program on the television channel France 5 on Tuesday evening. The program “Nuclear, the Human Bomb” examined the impact of Fukushima on the nuclear debate in France and asked what the French state is doing to ensure the safety of its nuclear reactors.

(Reprinted with permission from the European Wind Energy Association. For additional news, please visit www.ewea.org.)

April 10, 2012 – Wind Power Should Flow Smoothly Through a European Grid

Next week Copenhagen will be buzzing with wind energy professionals keen to find out the latest market and technology developments at the EWEA annual conference and exhibition. EWEA spoke to Michael Nørtoft Frydensbjerg from Siemens Wind Power who is chairing a session on 17 April aiming to uncover how wind power is driving the modernization of European grids…

What are the limitations of the current EU grid and why does it need to change?

The electricity grid in Europe is mainly designed with an eye to distributing electricity from large power plants. Today power generation is more decentralized and large wind power plants are located away from traditional power plants. These changes in the power generation pattern have to be considered when designing the electricity grid in order to avoid bottlenecks and system collapse.

What, in brief, should the grid ‘look’ like by 2020?

In order to benefit from different wind conditions around Europe we need to be able to transfer power from one area to another – so we need a European grid without bottlenecks. In addition, a strong offshore grid will make it possible to build wind power plants where there are good wind conditions and transfer the power to the area where it is needed. Also, grid operating conditions have not changed much for many years – I think they should be reconsidered to better incorporate wind farms connected to the grid today.

Can you explain why HVDC (high voltage direct current) technology is important?

HVDC technology is relevant for different reasons: firstly it is a beneficial way to transport electrical power across long distances which is needed because the wind does not always blow where we need power. Furthermore there is a tendency against overhead lines that can be seen in the countryside, so many new lines will have to be underground cables. These cables can be AC (alternating current) cables but for longer distances AC cables have some technical limitations.

What are you looking forward to most about your session?

I look forward to hearing how European Transmission System Operators plan to develop the grid in the future to bring wind power online on a large scale. Furthermore it will be interesting to hear about the newest technologies from different grid component manufactures that will be needed to implement grid development plans and to connect offshore wind power plants.

What do you hope to get out of EWEA 2012?

Besides all the knowledge I will gain from the session I am chairing I also look forward to participating in other sessions to learn more. What happens between the sessions is, though, just as important as what happens in the sessions. Because then I meet both known and unknown colleagues from the wind business around the world and that often leads to interesting conversations/discussions.

(Reprinted with permission from the European Wind Energy Association. For additional news, please visit www.ewea.org.)

April 6, 2012 – Turbine Size: Is Big Always Beautiful?

Today’s turbines can be mind-bogglingly big, but big is not necessarily better. Mike Woebbeking, Vice President of GL group and chair of a session at EWEA 2012 in Copenhagen on 16 April that delves into turbine size, tells the EWEA blog that size isn’t everything…

How has the average turbine size changed over the last decade?

Ten years ago the average size was around 1.5 MW, today it is close to 3 MW. Thus the average size of onshore wind turbines more or less doubled. For offshore wind this is more difficult to say. A decade ago there were only very few turbines installed offshore. The average size could be assumed to be around 1.5 MW. Today the average offshore turbine size is below 5 MW, however 7 MW turbines and bigger are under development. The average size of offshore turbines has roughly tripled within a decade.

How big do you think turbines will be by 2020?

In 2020 the average onshore turbine will be 4 MW. The average offshore turbine will be in the range of 12 MW.

What are the pros and cons of bigger turbines?

This is difficult to answer as there are many pros and cons for all existing types of turbines, sizes and concepts and the answer is very much depending on the site, its conditions and the strategy of the project as well as availability of components and turbines, not to mention pricing, capital and operational expenditure.

And how about smaller turbines?

If we are talking about smaller turbines, the benefits are easier ways of installation, availability of these products, building permissions (depending on the market) etc. However the capacity factors are limiting.

What are you hoping to get out of EWEA 2012?

Besides all the networking opportunities we will learn about the history in wind turbine development and challenges of the past, delegates will understand the actual challenges and needs in turbine design of the present as well as take home solutions to face these and last but not least all of us will look into the future and foresee the forthcoming turbine technology.

More on EWEA 2012: www.ewea.org/annual2012

(Reprinted with permission from the European Wind Energy Association. For additional news, please visit www.ewea.org.)

April 5, 2012 – Green Jobs for Young People – Now!

As youth unemployment rises in the UK, the need for green jobs and training for young people becomes ever more essential, writes Christopher Ibbet from the UK Youth Climate Coalition…

The UK’s Office for National Statistics recently released its latest figures on unemployment, showing that in last quarter of 2011, 28,000 more people became unemployed, while the number of 16 – 24 year olds out of work rose to 1.04 million.

These sobering statistics reveal a worrying trend, and taken in combination with the recent controversy over the government’s exploitative work-to-welfare scheme, they raise serious doubts as to whether the rights of today’s young people and their aspirations for their future have ever really been on any policy agenda.

This news highlights the urgent challenges the UK government currently faces: to promote youth employment and to revitalize the economy, while mitigating the ever-increasing global threat of climate change. However, we believe that the creation of green jobs and training programs for getting young people into sustainable, meaningful employment maps out a clear pathway to tackling all these issues simultaneously.

Green jobs have environmental sustainability at their core but they also offer long-term, stable, living wage (non-exploitative) employment. While direct green jobs are those which are closely related to the development and production of environmental technology, such as wind turbines and other hi-tech renewable energy technologies, indirect green jobs are linked to maintaining and improving environmental quality such as “greening” your existing work place.

Green jobs can provide meaningful work for a generation so affected by unemployment, who risk alienation in a society where the government refuses to protect current working conditions for young people, as well as their hopes for meaningful future employment.

The move towards a clean and just future has young people at its centre. The move to get the United Kingdom out of recession is also dependent on young people. These must equate as the same future. The opportunities and needs of our generation should be at the heart of all the policies that will shape it.

The UK Youth Climate Coalition will be campaigning on green jobs, emphasizing the crucial role green job creation can play in empowering young people to be at the centre of building their cleaner, fairer future.

(Reprinted with permission from the European Wind Energy Association. For additional news, please visit www.ewea.org.)

April 4, 2012 – African Wind Farm Will Help Electricity-Deficient Kenyans Power Up Affordably

Anyone who has ever visited Africa and witnessed the continent’s still grinding poverty and its poor access to electricity will be delighted by recent news that work should begin later this year on a 300-MW wind farm in Kenya.

Officials with the Lake Turkana Wind Power Project (LTWP) said 365 wind turbines would eventually be erected in an arid region in the east African nation, which has a population of about 43 million people. The €582 million project, which will become the largest wind farm on the African continent, has been in development for seven years, officials noted.

“All contracts are in place,” said Carlo Van Wegeningen, head of LTWP.

Construction will start after World Bank member institutions finalize the risk guarantees, and the wind farm is expected to begin producing energy in 2014 and reach its full capacity of 300 megawatts — equal to about 20% of Kenya’s current installed electricity-generating capacity — the following year.

The proposed wind farm lies between 450m at the shore of Lake Turkana and 2,300m above sea level at the top of Mt. Kulal, and the site has some of the best wind resources in Africa, with consistent wind speeds averaging 11 meters/second and from the same direction year round.

LTWP also said the consortium for the Kenyan project — which is expected to become the largest single private investment in the nation’s history — has entered into a contract to sell the electricity to Kenya Power at a cost of less than $0.10 per kilowatt hour, making it the country’s cheapest energy source, next to geothermal energy.

The African Development Bank will arrange loans to cover 70% of the project cost, with the remaining 30% from private investment funds and co-developers. The project also includes upgrading an existing road and constructing a transmission line to deliver LTWP electricity to the national grid.

The new wind farm will lower the cost of power, reduce the capacity deficit and play a significant role in the stabilization of the power situation in the country, according to the LTWP, and Kenya will also save money on reduced foreign heavy fuel oil imports.

Statistics compiled by the Global Wind Energy Council show that Africa, had 1,093 MW of installed wind energy at the end of last year. Egypt led the continent with 550 MW of wind capacity, the statistics said, with Morocco in second place at 291 MW.

By my reckoning, projects like the new Lake Turkana wind farm demonstrate the benefits wind energy can provide to a global community requiring ever-increasing amounts of emissions-free green electricity at affordable prices.

(Reprinted with permission from the European Wind Energy Association. For additional news, please visit www.ewea.org.)

April 3, 2012 – EWEA 2012: Driving the Wind Industry Forward

With just over two weeks to go before the biggest gathering of wind energy professionals takes place in Copenhagen at EWEA 2012, Felix Ferlemann, CEO of Siemens Wind Power and Chair of this year’s event, tells the EWEA blog of his ambition for the industry and of the challenges that lie ahead…

Where and what are the biggest challenges Siemens Wind Power is currently facing?

The biggest challenge we face is that we have to bring down the cost of wind power. We need to make it competitive with conventional energy sources, because price pressure is growing and wind power cannot be dependent on subsidies forever. The industry will need to invest massively in innovation and industrialization. But these investments will only be realized if companies have a stable and profitable pipeline of projects. That is our main message to policy makers: We need reliable support schemes so we can make wind power competitive within the current decade.

What do you think are the three main barriers to the development of wind energy in Europe?
In my opinion, there are three areas of particular concern that need to be addressed:

  • We need to establish a long-term EU target for renewable energy. One that goes beyond 2020, which will ensure that investments in wind power will continue to be made now and in the years to come.
  • We need to develop a grid infrastructure that enables us to distribute wind power from future onshore and offshore plants to consumers.
  • And we need to reduce administrative hurdles, so we can speed up the deployment of wind power.

As Chair of EWEA 2012, you will be overseeing one of the biggest gatherings of wind energy professionals in the world. What message would you like to give them?

I am calling on all leaders of the wind industry, to all politicians, to all existing and future investors, and to society as a whole: participate in this historic project of making wind power the most attractive energy source in the energy mix. We have the right technology at hand and we can deliver. EWEA 2012 is an important event to move wind power forward. I encourage all participants to use the time for sharing ideas and to make the most out of these four days.

Innovation is the key theme of EWEA 2012. Why do you think the wind industry needs to innovate? Where should the wind industry be focusing its attention?

The key levers for reducing the costs of wind power are innovation and industrialization. Furthermore, the industry needs to make our supply chain structures leaner and more efficient. Here, we can learn a lot from the automotive industry where I come from. But just focusing on wind turbines will not be sufficient. We need to look at the whole value chain, including foundations, transport, grid connections, etc. Only by optimizing wind power across the whole value chain can we reach wholesale parity with fossil fuels.

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s annual event?

Aside from serving as Conference Chair of EWEA 2012, I am looking forward to seeing the leaders of the European wind industry alongside the policy makers. I am thus convinced that this year’s event in Copenhagen will drive the dialogue between industry and politics forward. And I am curious to learn about new and fresh ideas from all sides that will allow us all to make the transition to a new age of energy.

Looking forward to 2050, what’s your vision for wind power in Europe and around the world?

Simply put: wind power will have become the world’s most attractive energy source. By then, the question about wind power will no longer be “How can we afford it?”, but “How can we not afford it?” And I’m confident that we will reach this target earlier!

(Reprinted with permission from the European Wind Energy Association. For additional news, please visit www.ewea.org.)

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