WIND TURBINE BLADES AT FULL SPEED

WIND ENERGY: These days renewable energy is competitive not just in northern Europe, but also in the US where large growth rates are seen, says sales and marketing director Søren F. Knudsen of LM Glasfiber, a major manufacturer of blades for wind turbines for the global market. 

LM Glasfiber started as a traditional Danish owned production and sales company of wooden furniture. Later the company added boats and fish ponds to its portfolio, and in 1978 the company commenced production of glass fibre blades for wind turbines. Since then LM Glasfiber has developed into the world’s largest manufacturer of blades for the global wind turbine industry.

Research in India
LM Glasfiber has factories in Europe, Asia and North America. During the 1990s, an increasing proportion of the Danish production was sold to India and now a second factory is being built there.

“Based on major exports to India and national legislation requiring that 10% of the country’s energy supply should come from renewable sources, we placed an independent production of blades in India,” explains Søren F. Knudsen. “This enabled us to plan long term and results have greatly exceeded expectations. Our second factory, located near Bangalore, is slated for completion by June 2007 and we expect to employ 700 people.” Søren F. Knudsen says that LM Glasfiber is so pleased with the progress in India, that the company is also establishing a Research and Development Center. The first 20 people are already employed and 20 more staff will join in January 2007. The new centre will develop and construct blades for wind turbines. Søren F. Knudsen emphasises that the centre will only employ local people. “All staff are Indian engineers who will receive relevant training from us,” he says. The principle of employing local people has also been implemented at the two factories where the management comprises Indian engineers. “We have brought the technology into the companies and initially also a Danish management, but otherwise it is our policy that our companies in all countries must have local management.”

Boom in China
LM Glasfiber established its business in China in 2000. “It was perhaps a little too early and we entered the market before it was ready,” says Søren F. Knudsen. “But we were fully in place when the boom came two years later. Expectations in China remain high, with constantly increasing demand,” he says. LM Glasfiber has an optimal location in a free trade zone with excellent infrastructure. The Chinese company is 100% owned by LM Glasfiber, but has a Chinese management.

LM Glasfiber is also seeing increasing demand in the USA. The existing production unit in North Dakota was recently expanded, and the company now has an annual production capacity in North America of more than 1,200 MW.

Worldwide LM Glasfiber employs around 4,000 people, and Søren F. Knudsen hopes that the company can create even more jobs internationally. Wind energy is growing strongly, and Knudsen estimates the industry will see an annual increase globally of at least 10%, with Asia and North America being particular growth areas.

http://www.lmglasfiber.com

A wind turbine blade is not a commodity product. At LM Glasfiber the blades are built specially to suit each turbine type, in close collaboration with customers. LM Glasfiber is also the world’s only blade manufacturer with its own wind tunnel. To optimise its products, the company uses this recently built facility to simulate wind conditions on a 24/7 basis in the location where the wind turbine will be installed.      “A small increase in blade efficiency can make a big difference,” says R&D director Frank Nielsen. “If our blade design results in just 2% more power during a turbine’s 20 year operational life, the additional revenue can repay the investment in the turbine itself. Our new wind tunnel can help us to achieve that.”