By Kari Williamson

Gaurav Vyas, Research Analyst at Frost & Sullivan, comments: “Hempel’s strong foothold in the wind turbine protective coatings market is a result of the customer-centric strategy that it has followed over the years. The wind turbine coating product lines are perfect examples of its product line strategy in action and how it has consolidated its position in the marketplace.

“Hempel’s ability for customisation and onsite technical support represent the critical success factors for increasing and maintaining its market share in the wind turbine coatings market.”

Frost & Sullivan analysed the breadth of product line, the size of the addressable customer base, the impact on market share, the range of applications and the markets served.

Anders Voldgaard Clausen, Group Segment Marketing Manager at Hempel, explains the company’s approach: “For the wind industry, we address all parts of the wind turbine, though with the majority of our coatings are used on the tower. And we always ask our customers what their needs are so that we can tailor our products accordingly.

“We’ve developed products that meet low VOC requirements and have faster curing times, which means more efficient production. And we’re currently working on other exciting projects for wind towers.”

Voldgaard adds that Hempel's strategy has given it a market share of more than 50% in the wind turbine market.

Hempel’s coating portfolio for wind turbines consists of products based on epoxy, polyurethane, zinc silicate and polyaspartic, as well as a range of waterborne anti-corrosive products. In addition to meeting industry standards, the protective coatings provide ultra-violet (UV) stability and are abrasion-resistant.