Ask the Experts
Massive investment in R&D reaps rewards
Investment into Research and Development is important for many global operators within the wind energy sector, but for The Dow Chemical Company, it's the cornerstone of its operations. Ram Ramachandran, Director of End Use Marketing for Dow Wire & Cable, discusses his company's $1 billion annual R&D outlay, its commitment to collaboration, and his thoughts on the future of the industry.
PES: Welcome to PES, can you first explain a little about how wind power fits into your company's product offerings, and give us an idea of the strength of the market at present?
Ram Ramachandran: Wind power and other renewable energy solutions are a natural fit for Dow Wire & Cable. No
A pioneering spirit in a pioneering industry
As any manufacturer of wind turbine components will testify, the handling of their precious cargo is of critical importance. PES caught up with John Fricker, General Manager of RoRo/Special Projects, Europe, for Atlantic Container Line (ACL), to discover how his company smoothes the transportation process.
PES: Welcome to PES. Firstly, can you tell us a little about the history of your company?
John Fricker: For over 40 years, ACL's pioneering spirit has been the driving force that has made this company a leader in the North Atlantic Trade and one of the most respected names in the ocean transportation.
A consortium of five major European steamship companies joined together
Progress is good, but more needs to be done
One of the executives who took part in this issue's roundtable interview was Kurt E. Thomsen, of Advanced Offshore Solutions Aps. Here, he goes into greater depth about a few of the more pressing issues facing the wind industry.
PES: What are the obstacles to the development of wind energy?
Kurt E. Thomsen: Personnel, equipment, knowledge and money. The reasons are this: we need personnel in very large numbers. The people however do not materialize out of the blue with all the competence that is required in order to carry out production line work offshore.
WE need to train them, to implement a new mindset to the predominantly construction workforce we employ. This is diffic
A clear target of improving yield and throughput while maintaining quality
As Director of Sales and Marketing of the Optical Sensor Systems Group for
Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH, Jürgen Gobel is at the beating heart of the PV industry. Having witnessed several revolutionary changes, he's upbeat about the future of the industry and the technical progress his company continues to make.
Welcome back to PES. How has your business been progressing in the PV market since we last spoke?
With the increase of the requirements on the product quality and the production process, the demand for our solutions is of course growing too.
Today solar cell manufacturers are confronted with an enormous cost pressure, increasingly stringent quality standards and the necessi
A world-class competitor: two years on
PES last spoke to Robert Bürkle GmbH's Managing Director in 2008, when Hans-Joachim Bender was bullish about the company's future prospects. Indeed, he said: "Bürkle orientates itself on the known forecasts for developments in the photovoltaic industry. This has resulted in a strategy that is valid until the year 2012, and during this time the turnover will be more than doubled....Bürkle's target is to become the world leader for lamination lines for the photovoltaic industry. Moreover, the company will shortly be in the position to supply the entire back-end for thin film modules and it will develop new lines. The company will also handle the crystalline sector. Bürkle will turn into a player well-known in the photovoltaic industry worldwi
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