Wind power

Generating electricity from wind power is the most technologically and commercially advanced means of delivering sustainable energy supplies from renewable sources, and continues to be widely deployed throughout the world.

The kinetic energy of the wind was used intensively before the era of industrialisation. Wind mills powered water pumps for irrigation and drainage, while larger windmills were used to grind corn into flour. In its present form, wind power is no longer converted into purely mechanical energy as was the case in the past, but is transformed into electrical energy through another step in the process. Technically speaking, the wind exerts a force on the rotor of the turbine which then starts to rotate. The shaft of the rotor in turn drives a generator producing electricity.

Since the 1990s, this technology has been constantly growing its share of power production. This is because wind energy and, in particular onshore wind farms, are considered to be among the most advanced technologies in the field of renewable energy. In the next few years, offshore wind capacity will grow significantly as a result of technological progress and increased political support. Offshore wind farm sites are characterised by higher wind speeds and frequencies, but also place more exacting demands on the technology used.

Technological development in the wind energy sector has led to significant improvements in the last few years as far as the lifetime of the plant, the load rating of the materials and the production methods are concerned. The latest generation of wind turbines have an installed capacity of 5 MW with rotor diameters in the order of 126 metres and a total height of around 180 metres.