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The stimulus saved the US wind industry in 2009 | 63 comments (63 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)
Re: EU being left behind again? (4.00 / 4)
Short answer is no, the EU is not being left behind.

First, on the manufacturing side, nearly half of the installations were produced in Europe.  In Q4 alone, US manufacturing accounted for 1848.5 MWs, while EU accounted for 1652.9 MWs in the US. (Siemens, Vestas, REpower, Acciona, others; and that's just Q4.)

Second, some of the largest developers in the US are already owned by EU utilities.

Both continents are moving aggressively toward grid enhancement.

I've got more, but there's a webinar on the results right now.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Tue Jan 26th, 2010 at 12:40:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: EU being left behind again? (none / 0)
Thanks.

notes from no w here
by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot male dotty communists) on Tue Jan 26th, 2010 at 01:23:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: EU being left behind again? (4.00 / 5)
Back of envelope numbers (very rough) based on AWEA preliminary data, for capacity additions in the US 2009:

The EU supplied somewhere between 42-45% of the total installed.

  •  Vestas  (DK)              16%
  •  Siemens  (DK/D)      13%
  •  Gamesa  (SP)              7%
  •  REpower  (D)              4%
  •  Acciona  (SP)              2%
  •  Nordex  (D)              <1%   (new to market)

  •  Mitsubishi  (J)             8%
  •  Suzlon  (I)                   6%

  •  Clipper  (US)               3%
  •  GE  (US/D)                  41%

Some portion of US manufactured turbines use European components, as do those from Asia.  Towers are largely produced domestically for all turbines.  Rotor blades are often from European companies with facilities in the US, though some are shipped.

The first Chinese manufactured turbines have already been installed in the US, with the first significant order already in place for 2010 delivery.

US jobs in the industry remained steady at an estimated 85,000.  Increased were construction and O&M, decreases were in manufacturing.

Projecting into 2010, market signals remain mixed, with some growth and CAPEX decisions awaiting the results from a disfunctional Congress.  

We're still awaiting 2009 EU stats, and while one can safely say the EU numbers won't be aggressive, they won't be lagging too much either.  The EU is in a transition phase, hurt by the lack of push to further develop onshore but helped by the beginnings of the repowering sector, where older, smaller turbines are reaching the end of their economic life, and will be replaced.

Anecdote from the wind geek dinner:  wry smiles as we remarked on the turbines (installed years ago) spinning at the edge of the airport, while politicians in the UK are still looking for solutions to the "radar problem."  (censored)


"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Tue Jan 26th, 2010 at 02:51:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: EU being left behind again? Not (4.00 / 3)
Perhaps as interesting is that over one-third of all 2009 US projects were developed by European-owned companies.

  •  Iberdrola              (SP)            1241.1   MWs
  •  E.on Renewables (D)              993.5
  •  Horizon  (EdP)     (P)               769.4
  •  EnXco   (EdF)        (FR)             355

If one counts BP as being European, with some 725 MWs, the total is over 40% of projects.  Note also that the US branches of European banks traditionally make up a significant portion of the lenders.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin
by Crazy Horse on Tue Jan 26th, 2010 at 04:19:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: EU being left behind again? Not (none / 1)
If one counts BP as being European
What do you mean if?

En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Jan 26th, 2010 at 04:27:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: EU being left behind again? Not (none / 1)
Oh, did i forget to include the smiley for zee leetle yoke?  And pretty strong showing from the Iberian peninsula, na?

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin
by Crazy Horse on Tue Jan 26th, 2010 at 04:30:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: EU being left behind again? Not (none / 0)
And pretty strong showing from the Iberian peninsula, na?

So what, I'm not a nationalist.

En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Jan 26th, 2010 at 04:34:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: EU being left behind again? Not (none / 0)
But aren't you a Europhile and supporter of progressive industries in Europe??

notes from no w here
by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot male dotty communists) on Tue Jan 26th, 2010 at 05:33:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: EU being left behind again? Not (none / 0)
What do you mean if?

Well, given the behaviour of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, I think many of us would prefer to not count BP as "European."

- Jake

Friends come and go. Enemies accumulate.

by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Tue Jan 26th, 2010 at 08:17:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: EU being left behind again? Not (none / 0)
Um, no true Scotsman?

En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed Jan 27th, 2010 at 03:00:02 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: EU being left behind again? Not (4.00 / 3)
BP's environmental record in the US is disasterous, regardless of what it did 70 years ago in an earlier incarnation, and regardless of it's PR budget  Beyond Petroleum.  BP has played a decent role in the US wind industry, though perhaps not when measured against its potential or size.  And their technical choices do not evince what one would expect of an engineering company.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin
by Crazy Horse on Wed Jan 27th, 2010 at 04:26:19 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: EU being left behind again? (4.00 / 2)
Siemens http://press.siemens.us/index.php?s=43&item=1078
by rootless2 on Tue Jan 26th, 2010 at 02:33:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: EU being left behind again? (4.00 / 2)
Siemens has located an R&D facility in Bolder, Colorado, but has only 800 employees in its US Wind Power department - and is planning to double this in the next 2/3 years - seems quite small for such a large market share - but presumably its US operations are only beginning to substitute European Sourced nacelles etc.

notes from no w here
by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot male dotty communists) on Tue Jan 26th, 2010 at 09:24:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]

The stimulus saved the US wind industry in 2009 | 63 comments (63 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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