Less than one per cent of the world’s power consumption comes from wind turbines. Is there really a future for Vestas and the wind power industry?
The wind power industry has experienced fantastic growth in recent years. Vestas expects that the present wind power share of about one per cent of global power consumption will grow to at least 10 per cent by 2020.
The targets for renewable power in the EU and China will account for 20 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively, in 2020, and the US is expected to adopt similar targets. These targets mean that installed capacity is set to rise from 75,000 MW in 2006 to at least 1,000,000 MW in 2020, which translates into annual growth of more than 20 per cent.
Currently, wind power is the cleanest and best option for reducing CO2 emissions. Vestas wind turbines currently produce enough electricity to supply millions of households – and, on average, we install a new turbine every four hours.
Vestas is still a much smaller company than competitors such as Siemens and GE. Why do you call yourselves number one?
Our 23 per cent market share makes us the biggest player on the global wind power market. Many of our competitors are also active in other business areas. We concentrate on being the experts in modern energy.
What is modern energy?
All over the world, people must prepare to use new forms of energy in the future. The sharp rise in energy consumption calls for a sustainable resource that does not create more greenhouse gases, pollution or waste for future generations. Wind power is a sustainable, predictable and clean source of energy. Substantial capacity can be built up quickly, offering energy independence demanded by the world's largest and fastest-growing economies. That's why we call wind power, modern energy.
Just one of our V90-3.0 MW wind turbines can save the atmosphere from more than 5,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, every single year.
New oil and gas deposits are found regularly. What does this mean for Vestas?
It is extremely positive that fossil fuels are still available. But new finds do not benefit the world’s climate problems. Over time, conventional forms of energy will disappear. We can see that the wind power market is growing rapidly. This is the market we are concentrating on – and it is here that we are number one. We strongly believe that wind power is modern energy.
Several sources state that wind power costs more than conventional sources of energy. What does Vestas think?
The price paid by consumers depends on many factors, including official policies. An independent market study carried out on behalf of Vestas shows that when charges for CO2 emissions are introduced in 2008 under the Kyoto Protocol, it will be cheaper to produce electricity from wind power rather than coal and natural gas.
If you have more questions, Vestas has more answers
If you have any questions about modern energy, you are always welcome to contact us. For general questions about wind power, see the Danish Wind Industry Association website at www.windpower.org. See also these links to various wind energy associations:
Danish Wind Industry Association EN, DE, FR, ES, DA
DV - Danish Wind Turbine Owners Association DA
BWE - Bundesverband Wind Energie e.V. EN, DE
EWEA - European Wind Energy Association EN
BWEA - British Wind Energy Association EN
CANWEA - Canadian Wind Energy Association EN, FR
AWEA - American Wind Energy Association EN
AusWEA - Australian Wind Energy Association EN
IWEA - Irish Wind Energy Association EN
Elsam - Horns Rev offshore windturbine park EN, DA
Ministry of the Environment, Denmark EN, DE, FR, ES, AR
Language: EN=English, DA=Danish; DE=German; ES=Spanish; FR=French; AR=Arabic
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