A recent report from Navigant Research examines the forces shaping the global wind power industry’s supply chain, including analyses of more than 500 component and materials suppliers.
As the wind turbine manufacturing industry has evolved and matured, blades have become a strong area of strategic product innovation and sourcing shifts. Turbine makers are making major capital-intensive investment changes in how blades are designed, what materials are used, the manufacturing processes behind them, and what companies they source from. These shifts are especially notable in the offshore market, according to the report. Innovation in design and materials science has led to the development of high-tech blades over 80 meters long. The resulting wind turbine upscaling is leading to multi-megawatt offshore wind turbines. The report, “Supply Chain Assessment 2014 – Wind Energy,” examines the significant forces shaping the global wind power industry’s supply chain. The nearly 300-page report examines 11 component categories and profiles more than 300 component suppliers.
