From China to Germany
From 28 till 30 June Wind Power Asia was organised for the fourth time in Beijing, China. Almost 200 companies participated in the exhibition this year. Most of them came from China, but several western companies or their local subsidiaries also presented their products and services. The floor was crowded with exhibitors and it is clear that wind energy in China is booming. Several local manufacturers have entered the market, either working under licences or developing their own technology. The major international manufacturers are also increasing the capacity of their Chinese facilities in order to meet the demand. At face value, the aggregate plans of all players in the market suggest that China will be supplying close to 12GW of mainly 1-2MW wind turbine generators within the next 4?years. Probably not all Chinese manufacturers will survive, but it won't surprise me if some of them become international players or are in the market to purchase western companies, as is happening in other sectors nowadays. China is certainly a country to take into account.
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{access view=!registered}Only logged in users can view the full text of the article.{/access}{access view=registered}Alongside the exhibition a small conference was organised. Unfortunately, the conference was not supported by any international or national organisations such as the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), the Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association (CREIA) or the Chinese Wind Energy Association (CWEA). I believe cooperation with such organisations will bring the event to a higher level. I hope this is considered for next year.
HUSUMwind
This year HUSUMwind, with its accompanying trade symposia, will take place from 18 to 22 September. For the tenth time, the international wind power industry will meet in the North Frisian town of Husum, Germany, to present its latest products and services and discuss the most recent developments. Around 500 exhibitors from well over 20 nations will be highlighting the importance of wind energy in today's energy mix. The number of visitors is expected to top 20,000.
The trade symposia, supported by various national and international organisations, will cover topics such as maintenance, international development trends, and work and training in the wind power industry. Windtech International invited the exhibiting companies to tell us what they will have on display during the show, especially their new products. This preview is published on page 28.
After several years of two major wind energy events in Germany, Hamburg Messe and Messe Husum have signed an agreement. WindEnergy Hamburg and HUSUMwind, together with the German Engineering Federation VDMA, will cooperate in the future and jointly organise an international wind power exhibition. The cooperation will foster and enhance the organisation of an international wind power exhibition in Germany. This new jointly organised industry show will debut in Husum in autumn 2008. Since the event calendar is already crowded we very much welcome this initiative. HUSUMwind has a long-standing reputation and Hamburg Messe is very much internationally oriented. Cooperation of both organisations might result in a truly international event for the wind energy industry.
Enjoy reading,
Floris Siteur
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