Economies of Sail - Scale Reduces the Unit Costs of Offshore Wind Power

The cost of wind-generated power is falling rapidly and there is a simple reason - wind turbines are getting bigger!

This stunning article from the Guardian on the emergence on the offshore wind industry in East Yorkshire is well worth a read (and even better if you study or teach Geography too!).

Back in 2002 the largest wind turbine blade was around 80 metres long. By 2020 it is expected that will have risen to 180 metres!

Put simply, the larger the blade, the more energy is created and stored, thereby reducing the unit cost of wind power. Economies of scale (or sail) in action.

Siemens investment in its wind turbine factory in Hull has been hugely significant to the local economy and it looks like the UK could become a world-leader in offshore energy. A UK manufacturing success story!