First published on the BWEC blog, May 2013

Steve Sawyer, Secretary General of Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), will be a keynote speaker at Brazil Wind Energy Conference 2013. Cleantech Investor caught up with Steve ahead of the event to discuss the Brazilian wind energy market – and to get his thoughts on the wind industry generally.

Q. You have been observing the emergence of wind markets around the world for many years. How has the industry changed over the years as it has matured? Have the newer markets (especially those in Latin America) learnt from the best practices (and the mistakes) of others?

A. Just the fact of now being an established global industry means that the perception, and hence the treatment received, relationship with authorities, etc., has changed and matured. It’s more of a straightforward business proposition, although there are always new challenges in new markets.

I think the key actors in newer markets tend to study the established markets very intently; and they learn a lot on the technical side. But the political and regulatory reality is quite different in each country, as are the prevailing macroeconomic conditions, electricity market conditions and somewhere between 50 and 150 years of a national electricity system with all of its particular characteristics.

As I get older, I’m not sure that humans learn from other people’s mistakes…they generally have to make them themselves!

First published on the Cleantech Investor website, May 2013

by Denis Gross

A recent visit to Oulu in Finland highlighted the remarkable competitive strength that Finland has developed in sustainable technologies, with its leading position in these set to rival its established strengths in IT. Indeed, the recent turmoil in the wireless sector is encouraging a migration of that skill set in Finland towards cleantech.

Given the extent of its territory in the sub-Arctic and Arctic regions, and the fact that over 70% of the country is covered in forest, it is perhaps not surprising that Finland has claimed leadership in energy efficiency and the utilisation of bioenergy and biomass combustion technologies. Its geography has underpinned Finland’s approach to environmental solutions, which includes a close working relationship between the public and private sectors to ensure rigorous pollution control and the efficient use of water by industry, as well as the building of state-of-the-art water and wastewater treatment plants.   

The cleantech environment is further enriched by the demand for comprehensive environmental measurement solutions, allowing for world class companies like Metso, which is listed on NASDAQ OMX, the drive for efficient uses of resources and recycling. Further points of interest include the mandating of green buildings and the establishment of eco-city concepts.

First published on the BWEC Blog, 8 May 2013

The Torrebras wind tower manufacturing plant was officially opened in Bahia today by State Governor Jacques Wagner, providing Bahia with a full complement of wind generation equipment suppliers and consolidating its position as a key hub for the industry in Brazil.

The 120,000 m² facility established by Torrebras, part of the Spanish group Daniel Alonso, is located in the Pólo Industrial de Camaçari (an industrial complex close to the capital city, Salvador). It has has involved investment of R$ 20 million (US$10 million) and will employ a staff of 300 on the production line. It has capacity for the production of 200 towers annually and all of the production capacity for 2013 has already been sold, according to the company - for projects in the State of Bahia. There are already plans to double capacity at the plant to supply the national Brazilian market.

Bahia already has three nacelle manufacturers (Gamesa, Acciona and Alstom). With the addition of Torrebras and the imminent arrival of blade manufacturer Tecsis (which confirmed last month that it would establish a plant in the state), the core supply chain for the wind sector is complete, opening opportunities for other related activities in the area, according to James Correia, Secrretary of Industry Commerce and Mining for the State of Bahia. Both Gamesa and Alstom are locatd in Camacari. Acciona's plan is also close to Salvador.

The State of Bahia has enormous potential for the generation of wind power (an estimated potential of 14.5 GW according to Correia) and is now also firmly established as one of the principal clusters for wind equipment manufacturing. Tecsis plans to invest R$ 200 million (US$ 100 million) in a new plant, also in Camacari - both for the domestic Brazilian market and for export.

2013 Small Island Developing States Ashden Awards Finalist (www.ashden.org)

The island group of Palau, part of Micronesia in the western Pacific Ocean, might be a surprising location for a household energy efficiency programme. But the National Development Bank is leading the way with its programme to integrate energy efficient measures into its mortgage lending for new-builds, drastically cutting the need for energy-intensive air-conditioning.

Over the past three years nearly all the new-build on the islands has included approved energy-efficiency measures like installing natural ventilation or painting roofs white. Some houses have also received similar energy-efficient refurbishment or installed solar PV systems.

Justin Mighell of Zouk Capital presents at the Cleantech Fund Manager Platform: