Aarhus – Capital of Wind Energy - Aarhus.dk

in India and China. Indian corporation Suzlon is nowthe world’s third largest wind turbine manufacturer,while three Chinese companies, Sinovel, Goldwin andDongfang, now rank among the 10 largest manufacturersworldwide. See figure 2.When the global players decide where to locate theiroperations, they look in two directions: where the marketsare, and where they can find the best skills. This makesDenmark and the large wind industry cluster aroundAarhus an important destination in the wind energyworld.But this goes both ways. It is just as important forVestas to be present in new global hot spots as it is forSiemens, Suzlon and Gamesa to link up with the Danishwind cluster. As Vestas' research director, Finn StrømMadsen, says: “Today, we are going directly where thelargest markets are, and where we can find the world’s bestskills within specific technological fields.”European Hot SpotsThere is no official map of the wind turbine industry’sglobal skills centres and largest production clusters. Butall the major wind turbine manufacturers share two commonfeatures: Their growth has been encouraged by extensivewind energy development in the areas in whichthey are based. And they have themselves fostered a supportingnetwork of suppliers in their immediate vicinity.It is just as evident that manufacturers have establishedthemselves on each others´ “home turf ” to gainaccess to the local market and the skills the region offers.Often, local authorities have sought to make their particularregion attractive through special conditions, infrastructuredevelopment, and the creation of educationand knowledge centres.Supplied and Cumulative Wind EnergyCapacity in 2009Vestas (DK)GE Wind (US)Suzlon (IN)Repower (GE)Sinovel (CH)Enercon (GE)Goldwind (CH)Gamesa (SP)Dongfang (CH)Siemens (DK)OthersTotalFigure 2: China is home to 3 leading turbine manufacturers.Source: BTM Consult.Suppliedwind energyin 2009,MW4,7664,7413,7183,5103,2212,7272,5462,4752,2657,03337,002Share ofglobal windenergyinstallations2009, pct12.512.49.89.28.57.26.76.55.918.597Cumulative Share ofwindenergy cumulativeinstallations global wind2009, MW energy capacity,pct.39,70522,96114,5655,65819,7985,31519,2253,76511,21326,440168,64624.814.39.13.512.43.312.02.47.016.5105“You find people here who were bornand raised in the industry. They havea thorough understanding of howwind turbines work and are able tolook ahead and see which type ofproducts will be in future demand.This is why Denmark is so interestingto foreign players – particularly thosenew to the industry.”Finn Strøm Madsen, Research Director, VestasToday, the global power centres are Denmark, Germany,Spain, the US, India, and China. Spain, North Germanyand Denmark in particular have built up sizablebusiness clusters around wind turbine production.According to the Spanish ministry of industry, 700companies beside the national flagship Gamesa employ atotal of 40,000 people directly or indirectly in the Spanishwind energy sector. Among them are four Vestas factoriesand its sales- and service headquarters for the entireMediterranean.Germany also harbours hundreds of wind energy companies.According to Invest in Germany, over 85,000 peopleare directly or indirectly employed in the field of windenergy. Northern Germany in particular has been good atpooling skills in clusters, for example the off-shore centrein Bremerhaven. The city university is a focal point for alocal wind energy network of 140 companies within offshorewind.The European wind clusters have attracted so muchattention as growth and employment drivers, that evencountries with no wind energy traditions have engagedin gigantic wind projects. Great Britain, for example, hasnow set out to integrate off-shore turbines in its energyinfrastructure and establish itself as a manufacturing andknowledge centre for off-shore wind energy.“This has the potential to provide tens of thousands oflong-term jobs in technical consultancy, installation, operationand maintenance and the associated legal and financialservices. There is also potential to establish a manufacturingbase in the UK which could also help create exportopportunities,” says Jenny Bird of the British think tank theInstitute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).IPPR has published “Prospects for Creating Jobs fromOff-Shore Wind in the UK” an analysis of the socioeconomicperspectives of establishing a British off-shore cluster.It estimates that Great Britain could create up to 70,000green jobs by setting ambitious off-shore wind targets.Jenny Bird points to Denmark, North Germany, and Spainas role models for a British wind cluster.whereDO WE LOOK WHEN THERE ARE NOFOSSIL FUELS TO LOOK FOR?As the world races on towards development, our finite conventional energy suppliescontinue to deplete. To power sustainable development, we need to look towardsrenewable, eco-friendly energy sources, like the wind. At Suzlon, we serve yourenergy needs by providing dependable wind energy solutions backed by excellentcustomer response and a fully integrated and secure supply chain, which deliverscustomised solutions to ensure project performance globally. Come to us, so the windcan power the world’s future and yours.www.suzlon.comWorld’s 3rd largest wind turbine manufacturer | Workforce of 16,000 employees across 25 countries | Fully integratedsupply chain with manufacturing units on three continents | R&D facilities in Denmark, Germany, India and The Netherlands* Combined Suzlon and REpower. Source: BTM Consult ApS, March 201038 Mondaymorning Aarhus – Capital of Wind Energy 39