Sustainability is driving change in wind energy. Joel Cox, Global Sales Director (wind) at Dellner Wind, explores how refurbishment and smart component replacement are reshaping the industry.
You heard it here first: my next car will be electric. That’s quite a statement for an American, I know, but sustainability is being embraced more wholeheartedly on this side of the Atlantic, even if wholesale support is some way off in the US. It’s also true that, while sustainable business is fundamental for long-term value creation, sustainability itself remains a work in progress, in the Old Continent too.
At the time of going to press, I read that Vestas has axed plans to open its biggest factory in Poland; the company pointed to weaker-than-expected demand in Europe. It means that the struggle between viewpoints persists. On the one hand, sustainability is not only upheld by moral principles, it creates opportunities for growth and competitiveness; while, on the other hand, it’s just greenwashing; companies painting themselves as eco-friendly, but business goes on as usual. Wind energy stakeholders, like us, must be bifocal in our approach; we must continue to drive uptake within our industry, but also champion renewables as a bastion of change.