According to Make's Global Wind Power Supply Chain Report 2015, 2015 confirmed the principle that a thoughtful supply chain strategy leveraging a global array of component manufacturers is critical to the competitive positioning of wind turbine OEMs. In today’s wind industry, OEMs must employ world class products that compete on regionally-tailored performance requirements and logistical efficiency.
Western turbine OEMs continue to introduce larger turbines into their evolving product portfolios, placing an emphasis on component suppliers that can provide the expertise, quality and necessary capacity to handle this demand. European suppliers are the primary source of these components for the next generation of turbine models. At the same time, the sourcing strategies for more established turbine models continue to shift to favour suppliers in Asia.
The market clarity supported by the renewal of the production tax credit in the U.S., together with the increasing focus on emerging markets and the continued engagement in China has led turbine component suppliers to emphasise the optimisation of current facilities while also exploring new avenues for market expansion. Expiring local content requirements in certain markets, along with the effort to meet demand in other markets, have caused component suppliers to evaluate the most effective supply chain strategies for evolving global markets. Supply chain segment leaders aim to consolidate their positions in developed markets while carefully strengthening access to or even establishing a footprint in emerging markets in order to secure a global reach.
Market opportunity for component suppliers will remain strong due to the positive outlook for global wind power development. However, intense regional competition will require flexible, global strategies to win share, and as a result, component suppliers must maintain their focus on a dynamic supply chain strategy. MAKE’s Global Wind Power Supply Chain Report 2015 is a 109 page report containing over 128 charts, tables and graphs providing in-depth analysis of the 10 critical components employed in wind turbines.