Press: Wind power experts among themselves

The Chinese region of Jiuquan in the Province of Gansu is a leader in installing and using wind turbines. In early November 2011, the electricity generated by wind energy in 2011 had already reached 6.26 billion kWh. As much as 7.5 percent of the electricity needed there is provided by the region's wind farms. In ten years time, the entire region will have 20 gigawatts of installed capacity - equivalent to around 70 percent of the total capacity installed in Germany today.

On their journey through Germany, the Chinese representatives from politics and industry will be learning about German wind energy projects at well-known companies and institutions such as GE Energy, the Fraunhofer Institute and the Technical University of Berlin. During their visit to Rittal, the delegation learned about the system provider's products that are used in wind turbines and about the strengths of the worldwide system manufacturer. In addition, a representative of the Bundesverband WindEnergie e.V. (German Wind Energy Association), with whom Rittal has been working closely together for many years, reported on the growth of wind energy in Germany.

"China is an important partner for us, due to its position in the global wind energy market" said Jan Oliver Kammesheidt from Rittal's International Industry Sector Management Renewable Energies. "That's why we are particularly pleased to be chosen by the delegation from Jiuquan City as a stop on their trip through Germany, and that we were able to present our products and industrial expertise in personal conversations with the Chinese representatives from politics and industry."

Rittal in the wind energy industry

Rittal is currently the system partner of over 120 active wind turbine and component manufacturers worldwide. These include well-known companies like Enercon, Nordex, Woodward, Goldwind and Suzlon, among others. Solutions from Rittal such as TS 8 enclosures and climate control solutions for control and power distribution systems, emergency power supplies or corrosion-resistant and extremely weather-resistant housings made of stainless steel and aluminium for offshore applications are used in wind turbine nacelles, hubs and towers. The company's international orientation, as well as its consistent worldwide quality standards are important arguments in favour of Rittal as a partner for wind energy customers.

Wind energy in China

According to a report by the World Wind Energy Association, three percent of the global energy demand could be met by wind energy by the end of the year. Most of the electricity from wind energy was generated in China, the United States, Germany, Spain and India, and this accounted for a total of 74 percent of the world's electricity from wind energy. In terms of growth, China is the market leader. In the first six months 2011, plants with a capacity of eight gigawatts were installed, representing 43 percent of the world's newly-constructed systems. China thus continues to top the list of the largest installers of wind turbines and generators of wind power. The total capacity is 52 gigawatts.

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Rittal GmbH & Co. KG

Rittal GmbH & Co. KG, which has its headquarters in Herborn, Germany, is one of the world's leading system suppliers for enclosures, power distribution, climate control, IT infrastructure and software & services. Customers from all sectors of industry, from mechanical engineering, as well as from the IT and telecoms market, are making use of system solutions from Rittal.

Its broad product range also includes complete solutions for modular and energy-efficient data centres: from innovative security concepts for data systems (formerly known as Litcos) through to physical data and system security for IT infrastructures (formerly known as Lampertz). The leading software provider Eplan and the software and consultancy company Mind8 supplement the Rittal product portfolio with interdisciplinary engineering solutions.

Founded in 1961, Rittal is now active worldwide with 10 production sites, 63 subsidiaries and 40 agencies. With 10,000 employees worldwide, Rittal is the largest company of the proprietor-run Friedhelm Loh Group based in Haiger, Germany. The entire group employs 11,500 people and expects to generate revenues of € 2.2 billion in 2011. Further information at www.rittal.com and www.friedhelm-loh-group.com.