As Head of Centre for DUWET (Danish University Wind Energy Training), Steen Mortensen is at the cutting edge of the industry, and has seen it evolve from a nascent concern into a booming international powerhouse. We speak to the visionary trainer about skills gaps, the coming generation and the influence of wind associations on the sector…
PES: What are your thoughts about the coming months with regard to your organisation, and the wind industry in general?
Steen Mortensen: DUWET is quite confident about the future. The global wind industry is, in spite of the financial crisis continuously growing. Therefore, there is a growing need for training. We are especially seeing a growing demand from subcontractors and developers, and there is an increasing interest especially from foreign companies. Course participants are looking for a general knowledge about the industry and the technologies used. They do not only want to know “how” but also to know “why”.
The general industry is facing some difficulties due to the financial crisis. Recently, we’ve seen Vestas forced into drastic cuts.
PES: A great many economies around the world are in the state of flux right now, what’s your personal appraisal of the economic situation in your country, and how is it impacting upon your industry?
SM: Naturally, Denmark is also hit by the global financial crisis. As I just mentioned, Vestas has been forced into drastic cuts. I do not think that Denmark is hit nearly as hard as many other countries.
Overall, Denmark has a healthy economy. Denmark’s new government has adopted the ambitious target that 50 per cent of Denmark’s electricity consumption must be covered by wind in 2020. It will help to ensure that Denmark will enhance its role as a competence centre for wind power.
The conversion of the Danish electricity system will have a snowball effect throughout the industry. We will see that other branches of the energy sector and the Danish research community will benefit from the positive ambitions that the government sets up. In this way, this ambitious target creates growth, technology development and jobs in Denmark.
