Supply Chain Problems Slow Offshore Wind

13 September 2010

The Wall Street Journal reports today on supply chain weaknesses for Northern European offshore wind development — a problem that US developers could face in coming years.

According to the Journal, manufacturers are not yet able to supply the necessary parts to support planned offshore wind farms. Some companies are wary to invest the in the necessary manufacturing capacity without orders in place. At the same time, the Journal reports, “some developers are putting off orders for turbines and other equipment because the cost of building an offshore wind farm is so high — almost double what it was five years ago. Meeting the targets and reducing costs will only come with competition from many suppliers and mass production.”

“It’s a chicken-and-egg situation,” said John Sinclair, managing director of Subocean Group, a Scottish company specializing in subsea cable installation and burial.

Study Says Connected Offshore Wind Could Guarantee Electricity

A study from the University of Delaware found that wind power could provide a constant flow of electricity if offshore wind farms from Maine to Florida were wired together, Scientific American reported.