The wind power market - France

A wind turbine is a device that transforms the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical energy, thanks to the movement of a turbine: it is necessary to distinguish onshore wind power and offshore wind energy (at sea). The wind turbine manufacturing market therefore includes the main manufacturers involved in the design, construction and installation of wind turbines. The wind power market should be multiplied by more than 4 by 2030 thanks to strong Asian demand, and global installed capacity will reach 1,107 gigawatts (GW) in 2030 compared to 273 GW in 2012. The 2020 objective set by the government in France is set at 19,000 MW of capacity installed in onshore wind power and 6,000 at sea ( offshore wind turbine ), i.e. a total installed base of more than 25,000 MW in France. France is now ranked in the 4th in Europe in the sector, behind Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. In France, wind energy accounts for more than 5% of French electricity consumption each year and the sector is in full consolidation and creates jobs. The market for the manufacture of wind turbines is dominated by some leading manufacturers, leaving little room for new entrants. The market leaders among turbine manufacturers are Vestas, General Electric, Siemens or Gamesa. Other players are trying to penetrate the market, seeing wind power as a growth driver for their company, such as energy companies like Engie The exponential development of wind energy, particularly offshore, is a tremendous growth driver for the wind turbine manufacturers' market. The development of offshore wind energy however, requires specific know-how and skills. Even if it only represents 5% of the market today The offshore wind energy sector is a growth driver (double-digit growth since 2015) but this implies new technological challenges for component suppliers.