Global wind turbine order intake grew 27% year-over-year in the first three months of 2023 to set a new first-quarter record of 23.5 GW, Wood Mackenzie said last week.
Activity continues to be overwhelmingly driven by China, which also set a first-quarter record with 15.2 GW of orders, according to the analyst firm. Latin America also saw record growth with 1.7 GW and the US experienced a doubling of activity compared to the first quarter of 2022 to 1.8 GW, with the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) contributing to a renewed confidence in the market.
First-quarter orders for western original equipment manufacturers (OEM), however, fell 9% year-over-year. “Western OEMs have remained very selective and disciplined in their activity, with the goal of improving their profitability,” commented Wood Mackenzie research director Luke Lewandowski.
China’s Envision maintained its position as the leader in new order intake for the second consecutive quarter, securing 3.6 GW of orders. Vestas followed behind with 3.3 GW, and SANY, another Chinese manufacturer, claimed the third position with 2.6 GW.
Although offshore wind orders saw a 12% decline year-over-year, Europe exhibited growth with 3 GW of activity. Offshore wind accounted for 13% of total orders in the quarter. Overall, the estimated value of global orders reached USD 15.2 billion (EUR 14.2bn), an increase of USD 3 billion from a year ago.
(USD 1 = EUR 0.935)
