Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Wind Power in Spain

Spain's installed wind-power capacity makes it the second-largest wind-energy producer in the world, and Spanish companies lead the global wind-power market. This is the first in an eight-part series highlighting new technologies in Spain and is produced by Technology Review's custom-publishing division in partnership with the Trade Commission of Spain.

By Cynthia Graber

For governments and companies committed to the idea of powering our technological age with clean, renewable energy, wind power is a natural fit. Wind-powered technology has matured over the past two decades, driving down costs and driving up efficiency.

Today, countries like Denmark and Germany have demonstrated that integrating a power source such as wind into the grid can easily provide more than 20 percent—sometimes significantly more—of the power needs of a given region.

Now, Spain has joined them as a wind-energy powerhouse. With 9,000 megawatts of installed capacity, Spain ranked second in the world in 2005 in total installed capacity, behind Germany (16,000 megawatts) and ahead of the United States (6,500 megawatts).

Furthermore, Spanish companies, both turbine manufacturers and wind-farm operators, are among the leaders in the global wind-power market. Some examples are Gamesa Eólica (world's second largest turbine manufacturer), Iberdrola (world's largest wind-farm owner and operator) and Acciona Energía (world's largest wind-farm builder and developer).

What's more, from the dense industrial base already present in Spain, many companies have sprung up to develop technologies befitting the needs of the wind industry, in fields such as composites, steel, electrical components, and wind-data loggers.

With 30 percent annual growth in the sector, and a clear commitment from the Spanish government to encourage private investment, technological advances, and grid development, Spain is poised to continue this trend toward powering its economic and technological growth with the strong winds that sweep over the country's mountains and plains.