Stakeholders in today’s global wind turbine market are committing a greater amount of research and development investment to wind blades than to any other component in wind turbines. Wind turbine original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are designing blades and drawing from advanced materials offerings from the major chemicals, polymers, composites, and stitched fabrics materials companies, while materials companies are competing to bring higher modulus and strength solutions to market to satisfy clients seeking longer and stiffer blades while controlling cost and supply chain flexibility.
According to a new report from Navigant Research, cumulative global wind blade revenue is expected to total US$ 72.4 billion from 2016 to 2025. Growth rates in the wind blade market from 2016 to 2025 are expected to be limited as wind power has largely peaked and leveled out across the globe, according to the report. Higher growth country markets include South Africa and Latin America, while the two largest markets, China and the United States, are expected to see substantial development over the next few years before decelertaing between 2019 and 2021 as targets and policies are met. The report, Wind Turbine Blade Technology & Supply Chain Assessment, assesses the global wind blade market, with a focus on 22 wind turbine OEMs and 18 independent blade manufacturers. The study examines how the major global wind turbine OEMs manufacture and/or outsource their blades and their supplier relationships.
