Good winds ahead

World Energy Focus talks to Michael Hannibal, chief executive of offshore operations Siemens Gamesa, the company's renewables division, about what has driven its development and how the industry plans to continue to drive down the cost of renewable energy

Offshore wind power has come a long way since the first turbines began operating at Vindeby, Denmark, in 1991. That installation was recently decommissioned. With 11 turbines, each producing 450 kilowatts, it now seems a far cry from the large-scale turbines producing hundreds of megawatts at wind farms today. But it is only in the last few years that the industry has seen an acceleration that has surprised even the most ardent wind power supporters. Not only has technology advanced but the wind sector has matured and industrialised to a level that has seen the levelised cost of energy (LCOE) reach its 2020 target level of €100/MWh ($113.50) three years ahead of schedule. And there is more t