Wind Energy

The wind power manufacturers warn of offshoring of wind energy in Spain

Wind turbine manufacturers in Spain warn that if the wind energy moratorium pursuant to Royal Decree 1/2012 is extended, the industry is at risk of disappearing from the country. Therefore, the companies in the Working Group of Manufacturers Association (AEE) asking the government signals future as a stable regulatory framework, ending with an uncertainty that has already lasted for more than two years with a consequent drop in production, job losses and offshoring to other countries.

The manufacturers warn that the workload of the industry barely half its capacity. Since the wind turbine factory orders are between 1.5 and two years before the start the installation of a wind farm and the absence of a regulatory framework beyond December 31, 2012, in so far this year there is no new orders for wind turbines for the domestic wind farm market. This adds to that in 2011 the orders were for less than 100 MW and 2010 to 220 MW, compared to an average of over 1,500 MW in previous years.

The wind energy industry, which employs about 30,000 people in Spain, has lost more than ten thousand jobs in recent years due to uncertainty. Note that their situation is already untenable and requests the Spanish Government to take into account when regulating that the wind power has created around an industrial structure with companies across the supply chain-from large manufacturers to smaller suppliers- technology exports by more than 2,000 million euros a year, invest in R & D 150 million per year and has placed Spain the fourth country in the world in wind patents.

Manufacturers of Spanish Wind Energy Association stress that the Government can not forget that Spain needs to advance wind energy independence ahead of the expected increase in fossil fuel prices and to meet the binding targets of the European Directive on renewable energy because it is the most mature technology. The problem is that if the wind power is paralyzed now, a few years to be competitive without incentives, when you want to reactivate it will be lost national talent as well as one of the few sectors in which our country’s undisputed world reference .

The wind energy sector understands the difficult economic situation being experienced by Spain and has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to make sacrifices. But consider that it is not responsible for the deficitts contribution rate in 2011 was zero, so the solution can not pass in any way for the destruction of their industry and its 30,000 jobs. Hence urgently seeking sustainable economic regulation to ensure the survival of a key sector for the Spanish economy.

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