Turkey ranks fifth in the list of leading producers of strategic wind turbine components in Europe, according to WindEurope's latest report, Wind Energy and Economic Recovery in Europe.
The report showcased the state-of-play of the European wind industry and its global competitiveness along with its industrial footprint in Europe.
The report found that in a very competitive market that is worth €50 billion globally in 2020, €38 billion onshore and €12 billion offshore, China takes the lion’s share at 45% out of the nearly 800 wind turbine component manufacturing sites.
Europe ranks second at 31% and India follows with 7%, Brazil with 5% while North America, including the US, Canada and Mexico, is home to only 4.5% of global wind component factories.
The report showed that the top four producers of strategic wind turbine components in Europe are in order of size; Germany with 82, Spain with 41, Italy with 17, and Denmark with 13.
Turkey follows these countries with 12 operational facilities, characterizing it as the fifth-largest wind turbine component producer in Europe. Of these 12 facilities, six facilities produce towers, four facilities produce blades and two facilities produce castings.
'The steps that Turkey takes in clean energy and clean technologies in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the 11th Development Plan of Turkey are now being reflected in the reports prepared by international organizations,' Izmir Development Agency's (IZKA) Secretary-General Mehmet Yavuz told Anadolu Agency in an exclusive interview.
Turkey has made considerable progress in wind energy equipment production and has now reached a stage in which it can produce almost all of the equipment required for a wind turbine, which constitutes 8,000 components.
The facilities that produce the main, largest and most expensive components such as blades, towers and nacelles used within Turkey and for international exports are established in and around Izmir, Yavuz asserted.
Izmir has become the 'capital of wind energy, as 60% of the country’s wind capacity, representing 10% of the country’s total installed capacity in 2020, is manufactured in and around the Izmir area -- 20% in Izmir and 40% in the surrounding vicinity.
Other than the 12 production facilities in the WindEurope's report, there are 30 more facilities in Izmir that produce wind energy components, Yavuz said.
He expects to see further progress in wind equipment production in Turkey reflected in similar reports due to new investments underway.
The report also highlighted the fierce competition in the manufacture and supplies of high market value components such as towers, rotor blades and gearboxes, which totals 50-55% of the market globally.
By Ebru Sengul Cevrioglu
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr