Wind Industry Booming Around the World

In Finland, the expansion of wind energy is gaining momentum. According to the Finnish Wind Energy Association, 153 new turbines were installed in the country last year. There are now around 700 installed turbines in Finland, most of which are located on the west coast. In 2017, these turbines produced 4.8 terawatt hours of green electricity, accounting for almost 6 percent of Finland's energy production.

As the cost of producing wind energy continues to fall, experts predict a constant expansion in Finland. In purely arithmetical terms, it would even be possible to supply the country completely with wind power because offshore wind power has become more interesting for many companies in Finland.

However, most of the wind farms are owned by the major energy suppliers. According to Uutiset, Professor Esa Vakkilainen, a renewable energy expert at the Lappeenranta University of Technology, would prefer a model similar to the Germany one: ”I would like to see communities installing turbines to serve local needs.” 

Northern Lights in Finland

In Egypt, too, renewables have gained enormous popularity in recent years. Supported by foreign investors, a new master plan was implemented in 2015 to convert the country's electricity supply to renewable energy.

As Ahram Online reports, one of the world's largest onshore wind farms will be inaugurated next Sunday: The wind farm is located in the Gabal El-Zeit area in the Red Sea governorate and has a total capacity of 580 megawatts. The project combines a total of around 300 wind turbines, which were built in three construction phases.

The first sub-project has already been connected to the national grid. It comprises 120 wind turbines and generates 240 MW of power. The second phase, with 110 plants and a total capacity of 220 MW, and the third phase, with 60 plants and a capacity of 120 MW, will be connected to the grid this month.

According to the authorities, the total capacity of 580 MW is supported by the location of the project and the wind speeds in the area, which average 12 meters per second but can reach record levels of up to 33 meters per second.

Measures have also been taken to protect migratory birds whose routes pass through the area. The new wind farm has a system for monitoring migratory birds and can be stopped by a radar device if birds are in the vicinity.

Egypt has set itself the target of generating 20 percent of its electricity from renewable energies by 2022 and 42 percent by 2025.

The Pyramids of Giza

Strong figures - albeit at a low level - also come from Mongolia. The huge inland country with its three million inhabitants has great potential as a beginner in the field of renewable energies. More than 250 sunny days a year make investors' hearts beat faster. According to the Ministry of Energy, the share of renewable energies in the country's electricity mix almost doubled last year and has now reached 155 MW.

In the Mongolian south-eastern province of Dornogovi, four projects with a total of 120 megawatts are to be commissioned before the end of this year. In addition to three solar parks, there is also a wind farm with 55 MW of capacity, which will be commissioned near the provincial capital Sainshand at the end of 2018.

According to Xinhuanet, Mongolia currently obtains less than 5 percent of its electricity from renewable energies. The government wants to achieve a 20 percent share of renewable energies by 2020 and 30 percent by 2030 as the country has a potential wind capacity of 1,100 gigawatts.

Traditional warriors from Mongolia