BTM Consult, a part of Navigant, the premier forecaster of the international wind industry, is bringing its experience and expertise to provide the most comprehensive supply chain assessment the wind industry has ever seen.
During 2007 and 2008, “the wind power gold rush,” overcapacity was not a word in the wind industry’s lexicon. A year later, the economic recession significantly slowed the development of the European and American wind industry. Fortunately, the Chinese wind power market remained strong and grew to almost half of the global total in 2010. Entering 2011, however, the market conditions dramatically changed again. The combination of slower-than-expected economic recovery in the U.S., the eurozone sovereign debt crisis, and the Chinese government’s effort to overhaul their wind industry has forged a new reality for wind power.
The entire wind power supply chain is under pressure. Fierce competition among turbine OEMs, particularly in China, has decreased turbine prices to the extent that turbine OEMs and sub-suppliers are no longer realizing a profit. This is the first time in Chinese wind power history that many sub-suppliers have had to reduce their production capacity; even a large component supplier recently went bankrupt. The wind industry has entered a stage where strategic decision making is needed. How can the suppliers of components and materials survive this new reality? What are the latest supply chain management strategies of the world’s top 10 turbine OEMs as a response to slumping demand? This supply chain assessment, with the updated status of supply chain activities as of November 2011, addresses these questions.
Key Components included in this study:
- Blades
- Gearboxes
- Electric Generators
- Bearings
- Power Converters
- Transformers
- Towers
- Pitch Systems
- Balance of Plant – Offshore
Key Materials included in this study:
- Castings
- Forgings
- Reinforcement fibers
- Resins
- Rare-earth materials
Table of Contents
List of Tables
List of Figures
Abbreviations and Technical Units
Preface
Executive Summary
1. Introduction
1.1 Methodology
1.2 Limitations of the research
1.3 Evolution of the wind power supply chain
2. Global distribution of wind turbine manufacture
2.1 Geographical distribution of wind turbine manufacture
2.2 Overview of global wind turbine manufacturing capacity
2.3 Commercial MW class wind turbines in the global market
3. The Wind Power Industry Supply Chain
3.1 Introduction to the supply chain
3.2 Scope of the assessment
3.3 Current structure of the wind industry supply chain
4. Supply chain assessment of key components
4.1 Blades
4.2 Gearboxes
4.3 Electric Generators
4.4 Bearings
4.5 Power Converters
4.6 Power Transformers
4.7 Towers
4.8 Pitch System
4.9 Summary of components supply status
5. Supply chain assessment of key materials
5.1 Castings
5.2 Forgings
5.3 Reinforcement fibres
5.4 Resins
5.5 Rare Earth Materials used for Permanent Magnet Generators
5.6 Summary of supply status for key materials
6. Offshore balance of plant
6.1 Offshore foundations
6.1.1 Gravity based structures
6.1.2 Steel foundations and structures
6.2 Offshore cable suppliers
6.3 Sub-stations
6.4 Installation and construction vessels
6.4.1 Types of vessels
6.4.2 Installation vessels
6.5 Specialist installation contractors
7. Trends in wind power markets
7.1 Political issues
7.2 Industrial developments
7.2.1 Strategic changes in sourcing patterns
7.2.2 Globalization and consolidation in the wind industry
7.3 Trends in the development of wind power technology
7.3.1 Turbine upscaling
7.3.2 Direct drive technology
7.3.3 Trends in offshore wind technology
8. Conclusions
Appendices
Appendix 1: Global market status at end of 2010
Appendix 2: Global wind power market forecast up to 2013
Appendix 3: The status of wind turbine OEMs at the end of 2010
Appendix 4: Identified global supply capacity of castings for wind turbines
Appendix 5: Identified global supply capacity of forged material for wind turbines
Index
List of Figures
- Location of main wind turbine component suppliers
- Evolution of the wind power supply chain (2006-2011)
- Global wind turbine manufacturing facilities in 2011 (Americas, Denmark and Brazil)
- Global wind turbine manufacturing facilities in 2011 (Europe and Asia)
- Scope of the supply chain assessment
- Outboard blade section
- Overview of key generator technologies in the wind industry
- Bearings used in a wind turbine
- Illustration of gearbox bearings
- Typical converter layouts
- Structure of back-to-back frequency converter
- Pitch control systems for wind turbines
- Location of cast iron components in a wind turbine (model: Nordex N60)
- Forecast global demand for castings in the wind turbine industry, 2011-2015
- Location of forged components in a wind turbine (model: Nordex N60)
- Global demand for forgings by the wind Industry – Forecast: 2011-2015
- Projected supply of Neodymium up to 2017 (World outside China)
- Projected supply of Dysprosium up to 2017 (World outside China)
- Wind industry vertical integration over the period 2000 to 2011
- Wind industry (horizontal) consolidation over the period 1995 to 2011
- Roadmap of offshore wind turbine technology 1991 to 2012
- Top 10 suppliers’ market share and presence in 2010
List of Tables
- Global distribution of wind turbine manufacture
- Forecast global demand versus manufacturing capacity in 2011 (MW)
- Commercial MW class wind turbines in the market
- Key components and materials covered by this assessment
- Sources of key components for main wind turbine suppliers
- Three common blade manufacturing technologies
- Independent blade manufacturers
- In-house blade manufacturing
- Blade suppliers to the Top 10 wind turbine manufacturers
- In-house blade production capacity of Top-15 wind turbine suppliers
- Blade production capacity of independent suppliers
- Gearbox manufacturers
- Classification of Gearbox Manufacturers to the Wind Industry
- Gearbox suppliers to Top-10 turbine manufacturers
- Gearbox manufacturing capacity
- Delivery times for gearbox components
- Offshore gearbox suppliers
- Global wind turbine generator manufacturers
- Generator suppliers to Top-10 turbine manufacturers
- Manufacturing capacity of main generator suppliers
- Main suppliers of permanent magnet generators
- Generator manufacturers with offshore wind applications
- Specific application of bearings in different components
- Classification of Bearing Suppliers to the Wind Industry
- Major bearing manufacturers
- Suppliers of large bearings for offshore turbines
- Advantages/disadvantages of using power converters in wind turbine systems
- Independent power converter suppliers
- Power converter suppliers to Top 10 turbine manufacturers
- Independent power converter suppliers for offshore turbines
- Key difference between the two types of transformers
- Main power transformer suppliers
- Small scale emerging Asian power transformer suppliers
- Independent power transformer suppliers for offshore turbines
- Capacity, products and customers of main tower manufacturers
- Tower suppliers for offshore turbines
- Suppliers of pitch systems to the wind industry
- Pitch system suppliers to Top 15 turbine manufacturers
- Manufacturing capacity of main pitch system suppliers
- Major suppliers of castings for the wind industry
- Capacity of castings supply to the wind industry by region
- Weight data for main wind turbine components requiring castings
- Key figures for cast iron used in wind turbines
- Forecast demand for castings in the wind turbine industry, 2011-2015
- Practical available supply of cast iron for the wind power industry
- Independent castings suppliers for offshore wind
- Major suppliers of forgings to the wind industry
- Supply capacity of forgings for the wind industry by region
- Weight data for main wind turbine components requiring forgings
- Key figures for forged material used in wind turbines
- Forecast demand for forgings by the wind industry 2011 – 2015
- Practical available supply of forgings for the wind industry
- Forgings suppliers for offshore wind
- Key suppliers of glass fibres
- Key suppliers of carbon fibres
- Key suppliers of woven and stitched fabrics
- Key suppliers of pre-Impregnated glass
- Key suppliers of epoxy resins to the wind industry
- Key suppliers of unsaturated polyester to the wind industry
- Suppliers of offshore wind gravity based foundations
- Suppliers of offshore wind steel foundations and structures
- Cable suppliers to the offshore wind industry
- Manufacturers of offshore wind sub-stations
- Offshore wind installation vessels
- Offshore wind installation vessels under construction and planned
- Specialist contractors
- Supply chain of main turbine manufacturers
- Market trend for direct drive technology up to 2015
- The 10 largest country markets in 2010 (annual installed MW)
- Forecast for global wind power development 2011-2015
- Forecast for the 10 largest markets 2011- 2015 (installed MW)
- The Top 10 turbine suppliers in 2010
- The Five next in line under the Top 10
- Supply capacity of wind castings – Europe update 2011
- Supply capacity of wind castings – Asia update 2011
- Supply capacity of wind castings – Americas update 2011
- Supply capacity of forged material for wind turbines – Europe update 2011
- Supply capacity of forged material for wind turbines – Americas update 2011
- Supply capacity of forged material for wind turbines – OECD Pacific update 2011
- Supply capacity of forged material for wind turbines – South & East Asia 2011