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Projects for Wind Mill Manufacturing

Windmill manufacturing is currently on the rise globally. The United States overtook Germany as the top wind energy producer in 2008, reaching a capacity to sufficiently power 5 million homes. Although the majority of U.S. windmills are imported from Asia and Europe, an increase in domestic manufacturing was noted from below 30 percent to 50 percent in 2008, due to the establishment of 55 new production sites.

  1. Windmills

    • A typical windmill is made up of a fan, a gearbox and a tower. These parts are usually pre-manufactured and assembled on location. Towers are commonly constructed from galvanized steel. The gearbox is assembled by hand and contains axles, rotors, wheels and gears that assist with fan movement. The fan consists of three to five curve blades attached to a metal rim. Windmills are erected in areas experiencing wind speeds of at least 15 miles per hour.

    U.S. Manufacturing

    • The U.S. government has set a goal for renewables to contribute to 25 percent of total energy production by 2025. Achieving this requires a further 10,000 windmills to be installed, hence the need for an increase in manufacturing projects. However, despite having the expertise, the issue stems from a lack of U.S. suppliers of raw material. Several European and Asian countries have since cornered the market for windmill manufacturing.

    Global Projects

    • Windmill manufacturing projects are increasing in other parts of the world. For example, Chinese company Sinovel Wind Group, the world's second largest windmill manufacturer, is collaborating with Irish company Mainstream Renewable Power to supply material for constructing windmills capable of producing 1 giga watt (GW) of energy over four years. The Egyptian government is also seeking investments of over $200 million dollars to begin manufacturing windmills with an output of 400 mega watts (MW) per year, as of the date of publication.

    U.S. Project

    • In the United States, Pavilion Energy Resources and Idaho State are engaged in plans to manufacture specially designed accelerator windmills, which are meant to cost less and generate more energy. As of the date of publication, the project requires an initial investment of between $25 and $100 million dollars, but is predicted to yield profits of around $60 to $120 million dollars annually. The accelerated windmills are projected to produce an output anywhere between 150 and 600 MW each year.

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