Harry Dempsey, "World’s largest transformer maker warns of supply crunch" https://www.ft.com/content/a0fa2e61-b684-42b7-bd12-6b9d7c28285c

« Transformers had long been readily available within six to eight months when manufacturers suffered from a glut for years, but demand in the $48bn market has suddenly rocketed. Its size is expected to reach $67bn by 2030, according to estimates by consultancy Rystad Energy.

Utilities wanting to buy the key piece of electrical infrastructure would now have to wait three to four years if they have not reserved one already, said Schierenbeck, formerly CEO of German energy company Uniper.

The supply chain bottleneck is another pinch point for power systems struggling with surging growth in electricity generation and ageing infrastructure.

In particular, the expanding share of renewables in the electricity mix in some markets requires more transmission equipment because they are often located far from users and produce power from more dispersed sources than traditional electricity plants.

That has created an urgent need to upgrade the grid to tackle huge waiting lists for new projects to connect to networks, as regulators struggle to cope with the major power system overhaul that decarbonising requires. »

#energy #infrastructure #renewables #peakrenewables