THIRTY KILOMETRES off the coast of Denmark, in the dark, churning North Sea, 91 white turbines slice through the air. The Scandinavian country is the birthplace of the offshore-wind industry. In 1991 the world’s first such electricity generators were erected there and, 11 years later, the first large-scale offshore wind farm, built with the help of a freighter previously employed to ferry bananas. On a recent gusty day, dangling above the waves, mechanics abseiled down the 40-metre-long blades for routine maintenance.
Such sights are rare in most of the world; offshore wind generates just 2% of global renewable power. In Denmark they are humdrum. Behind it all is a company that few know and fewer can pronounce.
Seven years ago Orsted (“ur-sted”) was DONG Energy, Denmark’s state-owned hotch-potch of coal and natural-gas plants, a few wind farms, oil production and more. Today the utility is the world’s biggest offshore-wind developer, with a third of the market outside China. In 2018 offshore wind accounted for about 90% of Orsted’s gross operating profit and 80% of capital employed. As fossil-fuel-dependent rivals grapple with concerns about climate change, Orsted has transformed itself into a darling of environmentalists and investors alike. Its share price has doubled in the past two years. Around the world the Danish...
via Business Feeds
0 nhận xét:
Post a Comment