Renewable and Sustainable Energy Technology - International ...
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Technology - International ...
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Technology - International ...
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The <strong>International</strong> Experience21European Wind <strong>Energy</strong> Conference (EWEC) – Key ObservationsEurope predicts a massive increase in employment in the wind industry, to meet thescheduled implementation plans below.Snapshot of the wind installation capacity plan:Courtesy: EWEA/GWECThe European wind implementation plan indicates a number of challenges for Europe.Australia needs to be aware of such issues in order to prepare against these challenges, aswe will be impacted by the European plan.The following issues need to be considered:• Supply chain issues• Re-powering• Community acceptance issues• Grid integration <strong>and</strong> access issues• Administrative issues• Offshore - Shipping vessels availability issues• Cross discipline <strong>and</strong> training issuesSupply Chain <strong>and</strong> Re-Powering IssuesThe Supply Chain issue is one of great concern in Europe <strong>and</strong> this was stated on numerousoccasions at the 2008 EWEC. This issue was highlighted by project managers, componentsmanufacturers <strong>and</strong> suppliers alike. The main concern is that most countries around theglobe can see that the quickest way to increase the market share of ‘green energy’ fromrenewable resources is by the installation of wind. This places great dem<strong>and</strong>s on windcomponents <strong>and</strong> their availability. As such a world wide supply <strong>and</strong> dem<strong>and</strong> situation iscreated whereby there is far more dem<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> not enough supply.It was also acknowledged that China, will be manufacturing wind components mainly forthe Chinese market.What will this mean for Australian projects given that we are isolated from other internationalmanufacturers? We have only one wind tower manufacturing firm in Australia <strong>and</strong> do notmanufacture any other vital wind components?Furthermore, there are many countries in Europe, particularly Germany <strong>and</strong> some of theSc<strong>and</strong>inavian countries that have wind systems that are nearing the end of their designedlife <strong>and</strong> need to be re-powered. This adds more pressure to the Supply Chain issue, withentire wind systems needing to be replaced <strong>and</strong> disposed of. This includes all parts of thesystem such as the towers, nacelles, blades <strong>and</strong> control systems.
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