JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017 - 42

WIND ENERGY
testimony

Strong growth in wind energy worldwide
"We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails." Aristotle

During the last 20 years, wind energy has overtaken coal and is now considered the
second largest form of power generation capacity (Wind Europe, 2016 statistics).
The total wind power capacity in the EU is 153.7 GW - including 141.1 GW onshore
and 12.6 GW offshore -and covers 10.4 % of the EU's electricity demand. In 2016,
Germany was the largest market for new wind power capacity installations (44% of
the total EU installations), followed by Spain, the UK and France. Offshore production
is growing worldwide and floating platforms are the next generation. The first floating wind energy platform was installed in Norway at a water depth of 220 metres.

bo Wind AG (Wiesbaden,
Germany), one of Europe's most
experienced developers of renewable energy projects, has 20 years of
experience in developing, constructing
and maintaining wind farms around the
world. Since 1996, the company has put
some 600 turnkey wind farms with more
than 1,300 MW on the grid. Alexander
Koffka, a member of Abo Wind's management team, estimates that wind energy
could cover the entire electricity supply in
Germany if power storage issues could be
solved. EWE, one of the largest suppliers
in Germany, is working on large storage
batteries. Under laboratory conditions,
the first tests showed success in salt caverns, meaning that in salty water, electricity may be stored in large quantities using
special plastics. Currently, one third of the
total electricity in Germany is supplied by
renewable energy sources such as wind
energy.

Alexander
Koffka, a
member of
Abo Wind's
management
team

Using a self-propelled transporter to move the rotor blades in Hofbieber, Germany ©Abo Wind

The drive towards efficiency will be
challenging for logistics
All the predicted growth limits of the
past have been exceeded. Onshore
rotor diameters currently show 60 to
70 metres, while offshore rotor diameters have already doubled. Prototypes
boast an 8 MW performance with rotor
diameters of 164 m and more. Enercon
manufactures two-piece rotor blades
using epoxy resins. From a technical
engineering standpoint, this is quite a
challenge. Logistics have also reached
their limits. A recent solution uses

jec composites magazine / N°116 October 2017

self-propelled transporters to install the
wind power plant in Hofbieber in the
middle of a forest. They make it possible
to pass through narrow streets in rather
small villages, putting the tower in a
horizontal position while going through
these areas.
Limited material characteristics and
transport difficulties always lead to new
developments, as regards both rotor blades
and towers. All types of material blends are
used: concrete parts, steel constructions,
or hybrid towers using concrete and steel.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #116 - October 2017