The circus moves to Manchester

Another week, another conference. [We are busy attending them so you don’t have too… Ed]

This time, RenewableUK plays host and the circus moves to Manchester. There’ll be 300 plus exhibitors, 5,000 delegates and enough speakers, panellists and moderators to keep the sales and marketing departments happy.

They’ll also be the usual arms race between the manufacturers, as they compete for the conference headlines and no doubt introduce an array of lighter, leaner, bigger and better kit, to ensure the developers continue to dig deep.

Despite the economic gloom, the mood will be broadly one of optimism, although as the Asian appetite for wind energy increases, one can’t help but think that there will be some businesses looking in the rear view mirror. If after all, the onshore market truly becomes a volumes game, then Asia wins, every time.

For offshore however, the European manufacturers need not worry. Given the increasing European North Sea push and with the likes of Siemens entering the final stages of testing for its 6MW machine, manufacturing facilities will be staying close to the markets they serve. The sheer logistics associated with manufacture and construction dictates it.

Perhaps then, it’s the Chinese that need to worry? After all, while they’ve secured significant dominance in onshore capacity, they may soon find themselves leapfrogged by the Koreans, who have announced their own plans for a 2GW offshore tender.

In light of this, the real manufacturers to watch up in Manchester this week then aren’t the European’s at all.

Rather, it’s the likes of Samsung and Hyundai, who will doubtless have their eye on future Asia Pacific offshore tenders and will be looking to Europe for the lessons learned.

The Korean manufacturers might offer less theatrics than their European counterparts but as the international market heads offshore, don’t count them out.