Mitsubishi Heavy Industries looks to overseas Wind Markets for Growth

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries , the massive Japanese Conglomerate is looking to overseas market for growing its Wind Energy Division.Mitsubishi like other Japanese companies are looking towards Green Industry for growth.Japan already possesses solid strengths in this area with its traditional focus on resource efficiency.While companies like Panansonic and Toyotal looks towards Electric Vehicles and Batteries,Sharp and Kyocera towards Wind Energy,Mitsubishi is focusing its energy on the Wind Sector.

Mitsubishi runs into GE while expanding into the lucrative US market

Mitsubishi is looking to open a massive wind turbine factory in Arkansas ,USA to target the lucrative US market which was the second biggest in 2009.However it is running into stiff opposition from US Wind Energy Leader General Electric which is using the patent lawsuit route to try and block Mitsubishi.GE filed a case in 2008 with the ITC to thward Mitsubishi from selling Wind Turbines in the US,which it lost in 2010.After having failed at the International Trade Commission (ITC),GE filed a civil lawsuit case in Dallas.Mitsubishi filed a counter lawsuit accusing GE of anti trust motives which seems to make sense .Note GE is the market leader in the US with more than a 40% marketshare,however it is facing stiff competition from European competitors Siemens and Vestas .Its a matter of time before cheap Chinese wind turbine producers Goldwind and Sinovel also make a strong push into the US market .

GE-Mitsubishi Wind-Turbine Fight Threatens Arkansas – Bloomberg

The plan may be delayed if the U.S. International Trade Commission, an agency set up to protect U.S. markets from unfair trade practices, sides with GE in a patent battle and bans Mitsubishi turbines from the U.S. market. The agency, which was scheduled to announce a decision today, will now decide by Jan. 8, it said in a notice posted on its Web site. It gave no reason for the delay.GE, the biggest U.S. wind-turbine maker, claims Mitsubishi infringes its patents. If it wins, the Fairfield, Connecticut- based company might prevent Tokyo-based Mitsubishi from increasing its share of the U.S. wind-turbine market, now dominated by GE and Denmark’s Vestas Wind Systems A/S.Wind turbines accounted for 42 percent of new electricity- generating capacity in the U.S. last year, almost matching the additions of natural gas-fueled plants, according to the American Wind Energy Association, an industry trade group.

Mitsubishi looking to partner in the UK Market

The United Kingdom has a very aggressive expansion plan in the offshore Wind Energy sector with almost 30 GW of planned capacity in the North Sea.Mitsubishi probably learning fomr  the US experience , plans to partner a local entity while making an entry here.It will tie up with Scottish and Southern Energy to supply 5-7 MW turbines for the UK.Note Scottish and Souther Energy is one of the companies chosen for building offshore wind farms.

Mitsubishi Heavy, UK firm to make wind turbines-Nikkei

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd  said it will tie up with Scottish and Southern Energy Plc  to develop turbines for an offshore wind power project in the United Kingdom, the Nikkei business daily reported.The UK government project will add 32 gigawatts, roughly the output of 30 nuclear power plants, to the country’s power generation capacity by 2020, the paper said.