| Acquisition of REpower by Suzlon is important step in international cooperation |
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| Tuesday, 05 June 2007 | |
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Worldwide shortage in wind turbine manufacturing capacities has to be overcome to continue worldwide growth
The takeover indicates an intensified cooperation and integration of the wind industry worldwide and is expected to contribute to the solution of one of the major challenges of the international wind industry: the shortage of manufacturing capacities. WWEA welcomes the takeover and sees enhanced international cooperation in the wind industry as one key for the future success of the sector. Suzlon – as a 100 % wind company – has a strong interest in a rapid extension of the world markets for wind turbines. The company therefore is expected to focus on expanding its wind turbine and component production facilities worldwide and on meeting the demands of clients around the world, based on the synergies between Suzlon and REpower. WWEA sees it as important that the wind industry continues is development as a strong industry which is able to grow out of itself and through international cooperation, like the example of Suzlon and REpower is demonstrating. In the past, vested interests in the power sector caused delay in the global implementation and dissemination of the technology. The takeover of a German by an Indian company indicates also that the wind industry is becoming more and more a global industry. The European dominance in the wind sector is decreasing whilst further world regions are becoming increasingly important. The share of installed wind capacity outside of Europe went up between 2005 and 2006 from 44 % to 48 %. In 2007, WWEA expects that more than half of the new capacity will be installed outside of Europe, with the United States, India and China each reaching market sizes of more than 2000 MW. Worldwide, the wind industry has seen growth rates of 25 % in the past few years and employs currently more than 300 000 people. Until today, a total of 75 000 MW of wind turbines have been installed which generate more than 1 % of the global electricity and which avoid an equivalent of 150 million tons of CO2. Thus wind energy contributes substantially and increasingly to energy security as well as to climate change mitigation. Currently, one major limiting factor for further growth of the wind sector is, next to political and legal constraints, a shortage of wind turbine and component manufacturing capacities. The increasing demand for wind turbines from more and more countries requires more capacities in wind turbine manufacturing. Many new companies can be watched emerging around the world. Only in China, around 40 companies have started wind turbine production and in many more countries on all continents companies have started investing in the wind sector, too. |
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