REVISTA DYNA ENERGÍA

The evolution was rapid and it can be said that at the turn of the century the basic technology was being developed in Denmark, the trend was towards larger and larger turbines with a reduced number of blades, and it spread to various countries. Even vertical-shaft types (Darrieus) were presented as an alternative. In 1931, a 100 kW turbine could be said to be quite similar to today's turbines. Later, the Danish manufacturer Vestas produced its first turbine in 1978 and GE's predecessor company - Wind Energy did so in 1980. In those years it was not yet intended to replace CO2 emitting means of electricity generation, but was a means to supply isolated locations or to become independent of the grid.
Spain was no stranger to these products and in 1994 the Gamesa Group created Gamesa Eólica for the design and manufacture of turbines, initially in conjunction with Vestas until 2001: its growth was rapid, as the need to combat emissions that could have an impact on climate change and the concept of moving towards so-called "renewable energies" was already spreading. It reached a significant market volume and in 2017 merged with Siemens Wind Power to create Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. By this time, the gigantic production network of wind turbine manufacturers, companies with subsidiary activities for the design and operation of wind farms and for assembly and maintenance work, as well as the provision of means of land transport, lifting of great heights and greater weights and naval equipment for the incipient installation on the seabed was already being established.
It goes without saying that, as in all rapid growth, any irregularity in the course of events has significant repercussions. The economic competition to stay in the market, the toughness of the guarantees required by buyers, or the need to offer new technologies and ever larger types of machinery without due verification of their safety, have led this industry into undesirable situations, not least the explosive introduction of Chinese manufacturers under non-comparable conditions and with facilities for the design and testing of new prototypes.
The significant rise in the cost of raw materials due to global political events has had a significant impact on manufacturers and has led to the suspension or delay in many implementation decisions, which are marked by the long period of time required for a wind farm, from the initial idea to the final decision. As a result, a large part of the business network in the sector is either not making any appreciable profit or, frankly, making a loss. As one analyst puts it: when the wind power industry is most needed to meet the 2030 climate change targets, it is precisely when it enters into a severe crisis.
So much so that the Commission of the European Community, in a communiqué of 24 October, has publicly come out in defence of this industrial sector and set out an immediate Action Plan. As it states in one of its sections, it is necessary to accelerate the deployment (of wind farms) thanks to greater predictability and faster permits. In 2022, a record 16 GW of wind power installations was reached, an increase of 47% compared to 2021. However, this is far below the 37 GW/year needed to reach the EU's 2030 renewable energy target.