E.

MCCLARENCE 2010-07-29

Windpower Set
Fair to become a
Major
Manufacturing
Industry
As the oil and gas industry starts to
lose its lustre, as BP knows all too
well, is the windpower industry star
starting to rise? Optimists in the
windpower industry believe that
providing the infrastructure for green
energy generation will be one of the
bright lights for manufacturing
industry, particularly in North
America and Europe where
traditional manufacturing has lost out
to competition in developing Further renewable accounted reports that the world’s wind
countries. for 60 per cent of newly power capacity grew by 31% in
installed capacity in Europe and 2009, adding 37.5 GW to bring
Earlier this year, figures from reports
more than 50 per cent in the total installations up to 157.9
issued by United Nations
USA in 2009. This year or next, GW. A third of these additions
Environment Programme and the
experts predict, the world as a were made in China, which
Renewable Energy Policy Network
whole will add more capacity to experienced yet another year of
for the 21st Century (REN21) showed
the electricity supply from over 100% growth. China
that for the second consecutive year,
renewable than non-renewable surpassed the US in 2009 as
both the US and Europe added more
sources. the country with the greatest
power capacity from renewable
investment in clean energy.
sources such as wind and solar than For windpower, the Global China continued its role as the
conventional sources like coal, gas Wind Energy Council, GWEC, locomotive of the international
and nuclear.  
wind industry and added 13,800
MW within one year – as the
biggest market for new turbines
wind industry and added 13,800 MW more than 100 today – half of them in –and more
more thanthan 50 perits
doubling cent in the
within one year – as the biggest the developing world – and have US. The world as a whole should
installations for the fourth year
market for new turbines – more than played a critically important role in the in
reach 50
a row. per cent or more in newly-
doubling its installations for the fourth sector’s rapid growth. installed power capacity from
year in a row. renewables in 2010 or 2011.
In 2009 renewable sources
Two reports UNEP’s “Global Trends represented 25 per cent of global Windpower- key
in Sustainable Energy Investment power (electricity) capacity (1,230 energy player
2010” and the REN21’s “Renewables gigawatts (GW) out of 4,800 GW total
2010 Global Status Report” also all sources, including coal, gas, Wind energy is starting to become
show that countries with policies nuclear); 18 per cent of global power an important player in the world’s
encouraging renewable energy have production; 60 per cent of newly energy markets. The global wind
roughly doubled from 55 in 2005 to installed power capacity in Europe
and more than 50 per cent in the US.
The world as a whole should reach
 E. MCCLARENCE 2010-07-29

market for turbine installations in limit CO2 emissions while providing Christian Kjaer, CEO of the
2009 was worth about 45 bn EUR or energy for its growing economy. European Wind Energy Association.
63 bn US$. GWEC estimates that China is putting strong efforts into “The figures, once again, confirm
around half a million people are now developing the country’s tremendous that wind power, together with other
employed by the wind industry wind resource. Given the current renewable energy technologies and
around the world. The statistics say growth rates, it can be expected that a shift from coal to gas, are
that current installed windpower is the even the unofficial target of 150 delivering massive European carbon
2% of global electricity consumption GW will be met well ahead of 2020,” reductions, while creating much
and wind sector could employ 1 m Li Junfeng, Secretary General of the needed economic activity and new
people by 2012. Chinese Renewable Energy jobs for Europe’s citizens.”
Industries Association said earlier
This year (2010) will see milestone this year. Investments so Far in
of 200 GW installed capacity rising
2010
to 1,900GW by 2020. Asia added “The U.S. wind energy industry
more than 14GW in 2009, thanks to shattered all installation records in In July, 2010, the Timken Company
new capacity in India, Japan, South 2009, chalking up the Recovery Act received a contract worth US$26
Korea and Taiwan. as a historic success in creating million to supply wind turbine
jobs, avoiding carbon, and protecting products and services to China's
In 2009, installed global wind
consumers,” AWEA CEO Denise Xinjiang Goldwind Science &
capacity was 158GW of which more
Bode has reportedly said. “But U.S. Technology Company, one of the
than 38GW was added last year.
wind turbine manufacturing is down world's top five wind power
The US has an installed capacity of
compared to last year’s levels, and equipment manufacturers. In 2009,
35 GW and added 10 GW of that in
needs long-term policy certainty and Goldwind received new wind power
2009. Whille some analysts worry market pull in order to grow.” capacity orders for about 2,722
that manufacturing in slowing in
megawatts, accounting for
2010 in the face of a lack of coherent Europe, which has traditionally been
approximately 19.7 percent of the
national policy and market pull to the world’s largest market for wind
wind generation added in China that
stimulate continued growth. Europe energy development, continued to
year. Goldwind's contract with
in 2009 installed 10.5 GW, led by see strong growth, also exceeding
Timken will support more than 1,500
Spain (2.5 GW), Germany 1.9 GW, expectations. “It is a remarkable
megawatts of new wind power
followed by Italy,France and UK all result in a difficult year” said
capacity.
adding more than 1GW. China was
the world’s largest market in 2009,
nearly doubling its wind generation
capacity from 12.1 GW in 2008 to
25.1 GW at the end of 2009 with
new capacity additions of 13 GW.
China now moved into second
position behind the US, and slightly
ahead of Germany. Asia accounted
for the largest share of new
installations (40.4%); followed by
North America (28.4%) and Europe
(27.3%). Newly added capacity of
1,270 MW in India and some smaller
additions in Japan, South Korea and
Taiwan make Asia the biggest
regional market for wind energy in
2009, with more than 14 GW of new
capacity.

“The Chinese Government is taking

very seriously its responsibility to
 E. MCCLARENCE 2010-07-29

Timken began producing ultra-large

bore bearings for wind turbines in
Xiangtan, Hunan Province, and
retooled and expanded its U.S.
facilities in Asheboro, N.C. and
Tyger River, S.C. to serve customers
in the industry. This is in addition to
Timken's existing wind-bearing
production in Wuxi, China; Chennai,
India; and Ploiesti, Romania.

In the first quarter of 2010 turbine

manufacturers Siemens, Clipper,
Mitsubishi and GE all committed to a
UK presence. Fundamental to these
decisions was the UK’sexcellent
market outlook. Considerable follow-
on supply chain development is
expected in the UK considering the
size of the domestic market and the
confidence now demonstrated by the
turbine manufacturers.

In the US Consumers Energy has

signed a contract with Vestas-
American Wind Technology, Inc. to
supply 56 wind turbine generators
for the utility's Lake Winds Energy
Park in Mason County. The wind
park is scheduled to begin operation
in late 2012. The total installed
generation capacity of all 56 units is
100.8 megawatts (MW).

Wind energy is already making a

significant contribution to saving
CO2 emissions. The 158GW of
global wind capacity in place at the
end of 2009 will produce 340 TWh of
clean electricity and save 204 million
tons of CO2 every year. As we see
in Europe and the US, wind power is
now often the most attractive option
for new power generation, both in
economic and environmental terms,
and for improved supply security.
power despite the financial crisis
and economic downturn is
testament to the inherent
attractiveness of the technology,
which is clean, reliable and quick to
install. Wind power has become the
power technology of choice a
growing number of countries
General. “Copenhagen didn’t bring
us any closer to a global price on
carbon, but wind energy continued
to grow due to national energy
policy in our main markets and also
because many governments in
prioritised renewable energy
development in their economic

“The continued rapid growth of wind   around the world,” said Steve
Sawyer, GWEC’s Secretary
recovery plans,” he has said.