INTEGRATED SYSTEMS 24 HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS July/August 2025 www.hpmag.co.uk Global energy trends show that we are making huge strides in harnessing these winds of change. Wind power has become a fundamental pillar of the world’s energy mix, generating over 2300 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity each year as of 2023, or around 10% of the world’s total supply. But meeting soaring global energy demand and supporting ambitious climate targets will call for more than turbines alone. Building on the rapid uptake of wind power will require a broad, multifaceted approach that brings together effective policy and smart technology. From predictive maintenance to centralised control platforms, digital innovation will drive wind energy’s next chapter. Over 40 countries are actively investing in wind, with China, the UK and Germany leading the charge. Onshore wind farms still account for most of this capacity. This segment is worth $130 billion as of 2023 and could be on track to hit a staggering $200 billion by 2030 if growth continues at its current rate. That said, offshore wind is gaining momentum fast. The surge of offshore wind projects is also partly due to declining availability of suitable land for onshore projects, but also because new innovations are making it easier and more cost effective to capture wind out at sea. What’s more, turbines are growing in both size and capacity, with newer units exceeding 1 MW, and floating wind platforms are now more easily deployable, harvesting energy in previously inaccessible areas. In fact, the offshore wind sector, with a current value of $40 billion, is projected to triple to over $100 billion in the same 2023 to 2030 period. Achieving growth at this scale will depend heavily on both policy support and integration of smart digital solutions. The power of policy Continuing this impressive upward trajectory of wind power will require backing from government policies and international agreements. Incentivizing green energy through government-established objectives, tax credits and financial subsidies is necessary to encourage the development of further projects. Several nations already offer feed-in tariffs (FiTs) and power purchase agreements (PPAs) to guarantee that wind energy providers are paid fairly for the energy they produce. Effective legislation should create a supportive environment and reduce risks for investment, innovation and market expansion in the wind energy sector. Policies that fund R&D will pave the way for next-generation tech and infrastructure. But legislation alone can’t ensure success — it must be combined with intelligent software systems. As regulations vary globally, operators need tools that can adapt to different policy environments. Software platforms must enable rapid configuration and integrate with reporting obligations, approval processes, and regional grid codes. Success depends on simple, configurable functions and customisable interfaces, empowering energy companies to align with local regulation without slowing operations. Infrastructure meets innovation Expanding wind power capacity poses unique technical challenges, from the natural volatility of renewable resources to the difficulty of integrating modern digital solutions with legacy infrastructure. Staying competitive in the sector requires more than installing turbines; it depends on strategic use of intelligent, interoperable technologies. To get the most out of wind power projects, digital infrastructure should be viewed as an essential component of scalability, efficiency and resilience across the whole life cycle of a wind project rather than simply a helpful supporting feature. As fleets expand, especially offshore, operators face increasing technological heterogeneity. Assets from multiple OEMs come with different software interfaces, data standards and maintenance protocols, making streamlined operations The winds of change – technology, trends and the road ahead H&P looks at the growing importance of wind power and the necessary factors to drive its success.
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