North American Windpower: Study: Offshore Wind Energy Growth Will Cut Onshore Rotor Blade Market Share

Study: Offshore Wind Energy Growth Will Cut Onshore Rotor Blade Market Share

by NAW Staff Wednesday November 21 2012

The growing proliferation of offshore wind farms will lead to a decline in the wind turbine rotor blade market share for onshore installations, says a new report from research firm GlobalData.

According to the report, offshore wind farms will account for 11% of all installed rotor blades by 2020, whereas last year, they did not even reach 1%.

Rotor blades used for onshore and offshore wind turbines are not significantly different in terms of design, structure or composition; however, larger blades are used for offshore applications due to the larger turbine size and rated power output.

The largest wind rotor blade market in 2011 - by a substantial margin - was China, which held a 59% share, with 37,385 installations. The U.S. came in a relatively distant second, with an installed total of 11,085 rotor blades accounting for 18% of the global market, and India was third, with an 11% share.

GlobalData predicts that global cumulative installed wind power capacity will show steady growth until the end of the decade, increasing from 238.6 GW last year to 658.45 GW by the end of 2020.

However, due to growth in the average turbine capacity, this increase will not be mirrored by the number of wind turbine rotor blades installed during the same period, GlobalData says, adding that from a global total of 63,405 installed last year, the figure will actually drop to 45,675 by the end of the decade.

Latest Top Stories

Post-FIT Decision, Turbine OEMs Mull Over Options For Ontario Wind Energy Market

Under political pressure, the Ontario government recently pulled the plug on its landmark feed-in tariff (FIT) program for large-scale renewable energy projects, leaving provincial suppliers and manufacturers with an uncertain future.

Continent's First Grid-Connected Offshore Wind Turbine Floats In Maine Waters

Billed as a historic day for offshore wind in North America, researchers flipped the switch on a floating prototype. This marks the first electrons from an offshore wind turbine to flow into the region's grid.

Raising The Discourse: How Wind Industry Can Help Avoid 'Climate Emergency'

Larry Schweiger, the president/CEO at the National Wildlife Federation, says the wind industry is an important ally to combat global warming, which is triggering dangerous and unprecedented weather events around the world.

The Numbers Don't Lie: U.S. Utilities Continue To Embrace Wind Energy

Last year, more than 40% of U.S. utilities reported having wind energy on their systems, proving the fact that utilities continue to integrate wind in growing numbers – and, in some cases, at unprecedented levels.

BOEM To Award Mass., R.I. Offshore Wind Leases; Pre-Qualifies Nine Developers

In July, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will auction nearly 165,000 acres off the coasts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts to facilitate offshore wind development.