The Global Wind Energy Innovation Trends report released by IntelStor reveals that over the past 40 years of the wind industry’s development, wind turbine manufacturing companies have spent US$ 33.4 billion on product development. That investment has led to the deployment of more than 390,000 wind turbines globally. But the industry also carries a dark secret. That staggering amount of investment has yielded a very poor return on capital (ROC) for most of the companies who have developed and sold wind turbines in the past 40 years.
Of the 1,200 wind turbine models ever developed and offered for sale, only 11.6% of them have ever achieved a net positive ROC. This fact helped spur a period of significant industry consolidation in that same time-frame. For an industry that once had over 200 global wind turbine manufacturers, we are now down to now only 37. For these remaining 37, only 18 of them have a track record for a positive return on capital for at least one of their products sold. All of them will require significant additional unit sales in order to achieve an overall net positive return on capital (i.e. above parity).
Historically, the companies who had positive return on capital were successful for a time, and their ultimate undoing were the periods of market or policy uncertainty around the globe which caused them to drain their OpEx coffers.
While many still live on as the proud legacy of some modern turbine OEMs, the fact remains that many companies are still not as profitable as they need to be to survive in the future.
As a result, the industry is likely to see another round of consolidation in the supply chain before the year 2023 due to the increased pricing pressures which the turbine OEMs face. These pressures are partly the result of the loss of permanent subsidies in many markets around the world as well as the growing price competition from auctions / tenders in these international markets.
While many still live on as the proud legacy of some modern turbine OEMs, the fact remains that many companies are still not as profitable as they need to be to survive in the future.
As a result, the industry is likely to see another round of consolidation in the supply chain before the year 2023 due to the increased pricing pressures which the turbine OEMs face. These pressures are partly the result of the loss of permanent subsidies in many markets around the world as well as the growing price competition from auctions / tenders in these international markets.
Additionally, increasing CapEx costs for new product development are introducing a competitive pressure and facilitating the M&A deals between OEMs.
Nevertheless, the survivors of this forthcoming consolidation wave will have figured out a basic equation, but one which requires them to think globally about their product sales and position themselves more intelligently in the markets.
Your average 4 - 5MW onshore wind turbine designed from a “clean sheet of paper” would normally cost approximately US$120 – 150 million to bring to market depending on the drivetrain architecture, electrical system, etc. This includes the R&D cost for a new product development program, the costs associated with prototyping, testing and certification, as well as the costs for supply chain buildup in the sub-component sourcing.
That level of investment typically requires sales in the order of 340 – 450 units to achieve a ROC above parity.
Your average 4 - 5MW onshore wind turbine designed from a “clean sheet of paper” would normally cost approximately US$120 – 150 million to bring to market depending on the drivetrain architecture, electrical system, etc. This includes the R&D cost for a new product development program, the costs associated with prototyping, testing and certification, as well as the costs for supply chain buildup in the sub-component sourcing.
That level of investment typically requires sales in the order of 340 – 450 units to achieve a ROC above parity.
