With a 23 per cent market share in 2007, we are the world leader in modern energy, and we are determined to take on the responsibility associated with this position. As a supplement to conventional sources of energy, wind power will ensure the world’s rising energy consumption is met without emissions of greenhouses gases rising correspondingly.
We are under no illusions: wind cannot replace oil and gas in 5, 10 or 20 years' time. Nor will all the cars in the world run exclusively on electricity in the same period. We are concerned, however, about the environment, greenhouse gases and the dramatic climate changes that have occurred in the past decade alone.
Vestas' wind turbines generate more than 60 million MWh every year – enough electricity to supply every household in a country the size of Spain.
We have installed more than 35,000 wind turbines in 63 countries on five continents. We install, on average, a new wind turbine every four hours. Vestas wind turbines generate 60 million MWh annually – enough to supply millions of households with electricity. During the past 25 years, we have increased the generator effect from our wind turbines a hundredfold, and the turbines are becoming increasingly productive.
As the market leader, Vestas has the responsibility to maintain and expand wind power and modern energy as a true supplement to oil and gas. We also have the will to win: We can compete on equal terms with big multinational producers of conventional forms of energy. And, we have a strong faith in a cleaner future for people and the environment, based on sustainability.
Vestas, renewable energy and CO2 emissions
Climate considerations support our modern energy solutions and our commercial processes. The positive environmental aspects of wind power are indisputable. Wind turbines have a positive effect on society with the renewable energy they produce. We also want to contribute to the expansion by purchasing more wind power electricity for our own activities.
In 2006, we bought 124,841 MWh of electricity, which was produced with the help of renewable energy sources, corresponding to 68 per cent of our total energy consumption. We are actively working to increase this percentage.
In our own energy consumption, we strive to minimise emissions of climate gases. In 2006, our direct CO2 emissions totalled 28,396 tonnes. Primarily, this came from oil and gas consumption for in-room heating or process energy in buildings and factories. The turbines that we produced in 2006 will produce a CO2 saving of 122 million tonnes during their intended design lifetime of 20 years. This means that the 28,396 tonnes of CO2 emitted, as a result of our activities, equates to only 0.02 per cent of this saving. Despite this relatively limited emission of CO2, we are still working to minimise our CO2 emissions.
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