Offshore wind power market draw great attention

It is learned recently that Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association, Global Wind Energy Council and Shanghai international Exhibition Co., Ltd of the Shanghai Branch of China Council for the Promotion of international Trade will jointly hold the "2010 Shanghai international Off shore Wind power (wind turbine) and Wind power (wind turbine) industrial Chain Conference and Exhibition", which is the first professional platform focusing on offshore wind power (wind turbine) market in Asia, in Shanghai during June 7--9, 2010. The activity will provide enterprises with the opportunity of meeting, exchange and display in terms of design, installation and management of offshore wind power (wind turbine) projects and R&D and supporting of offshore wind turbines. It aims to promote the sound development of China's offshore wind power (wind turbine) market and wind power (wind turbine) industrial chain. The exhibition received great support from National Energy Administration, Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and informatization, Jiangsu Development and Reform Commission, Zhejiang Development and Reform Commission, Shandong Development and Reform Commission, Fujian DeveIopment and Reform Commission and Guangdong DeveIopment and Reform Commission. Li Junfeng, Secretary General of Chinese Renewable Energy industries Association, said that, "The activity is still at an early stage, but we are confident that it is a prospective platform and will have a sound development momentum." Arthouros Zervos, Secretary General of Global Wind Energy Council, said that, "Without the 70% localization rate for wind power (wind turbine) equipment (wind turbine), more advanced wind power (wind turbine) technology will drive stratght in China and make the competition even more fierce. This activity can build an international exchange and cooperation platform in this respect."

Future of wind power looks better than ever

The Global Climate Summit in copenhagen failed;However,the era of wind energy has already begun: European wind farms currently feed approximately 78,000 megawatts of output into power grids.that figure is expexted to grow by 15 percent with an additional 13,000MW slated for installation in 2010.Other continents are following suit.The American Wind Energy Association estimates that North America will again reach the record level of 2008, with the US installing 8,500 MW of new capacity and even double-digit gigawatt growth starting in 2011. Canada is developing a market with an annual figure exceeding 1,000 megawatts. In Asia, China’s newly installed capacity is estimated at seven megawatts and upwards, followed by India. The diversity of market is also reflected in the wide range of manufacturers and wind turbines offered within the wind turbine market. Manufacturers can publish their data at no charge. At present, the large offshore and repowering markets are scarcely represented in all short-term forecast.The future of wind power looks better than ever.

GLOBAL WIND DEVELOPMENT: A VAST UNTAPPED POTENTIAL

Already now, wind is the fastest growing energy source in the world with an average annual growth rate of more than 26 % since 1990. The world’s wind energy generating capacity at the close of 2005 stood at over 59 gigawatts (GW). However, the global potential for wind energy remains largely untapped. Historically, the market has mainly been driven by fi ve countries: Germany, Spain, United States, India and Denmark. If other countries were to match the efforts of these forerunners, the impact for the industry would be far-reaching. It is likely that the next twenty years will see a broadening of the global wind turbines market and involve new countries across all continents. Several countries outside of Europe and the US are now taking the fi rst steps to develop large-scale commercial wind markets. Policy targets for renewable energy now exist in at least 45 countries worldwide, including 10 developing countries. China alone has recently set its target at 30 GW from wind power from 2020, but the potential is estimated to be much higher. The IEA predicts wind energy to be the second largest source of renewable electricity by 2030 after large hydro. In its “Wind Force 12” forecasts, GWEC estimates that the wind industry is capable of becoming a dynamic and innovative 80 billion euro (67 billion USD) annual business by 2020. Wind power installed worldwide could be increased from 59 GW in 2005 to 1,000 GW by 2020 and could supply 12 % of the electricity worldwide. The growth potential for wind energy in new markets is thus enormous. However, this impressive growth can only be sustained and expanded if energy policies are further implemented and adopted in more countries. As with any other energy source, the wind power market is largely driven by policy and markets only exist where policy support is enacted.