Renewable and Sustainable Energy Technology - International ...

The International Experience16The training programs associated with onshore and offshore wind have some commonalityand some divergence due to the operational environment. For this reason, the EuropeanCommission has funded projects that allow the emerging offshore wind energy industry toset up formal and transferable qualifications. The project known as the ‘Windskill’ is part ofthe Intelligent Energy Europe program.Key areas to be addressed include operations and maintenance skills for both the onshoreand offshore sectors. Divergence occurs at this point with operations and maintenance ofthe onshore and offshore wind farms being dictated by the physical working environment.Therefore, one of the key training components is in the area of working at heights, sea safetyand rescue procedures. Special training facilities are required for this training, a pool thatsimulates differing weather conditions, etc.This ‘Windskill’ project is described in more detail later in this report and web access isavailable for further research and contact with the network.Belgium – BrusselsEuropean Wind Energy Conference (EWEC) – Current Global Wind Market20,073 MW of wind power capacity was installed globally during 2007. By the end of theyear a global total of 94,122 MW capacity was reached. The global market for the demandfor wind turbines and other components was increased by 31% in 2007. The graph belowshows the global cumulative wind power installed capacity 1990 to 2007 in MW.Courtesy: EWEA/GWECThe graph below shows the top ten markets worldwide and the wind energy capacityinstalled annually in 2005, 2006 and 2007, in descending order of the wind capacity installedin 2007 in each country.Courtesy: EWEA/GWEC