Industry News

Emerging markets to drive renewable energy – especially China

LONDON (Reuters) February 19, 2007

Demand from emerging markets for easily-accessible power will continue to be a key driver for renewable energy, Charlie Thomas, a fund manager at Jupiter Asset Management, told Reuters.

Thomas, who manages around 500 million pounds in environmental portfolios, said about 15 percent of his fund is invested directly in renewable energy firms.
"Market penetration (of renewable energy) is quite global, but the real growth we've seen over the last year or so is from emerging markets, particularly China ... These are double-digit growth markets that won't disappear in 2007 but will continue in 2008 and 2009," Thomas said.

"In emerging markets wind (power) is not just about energy efficiency, but getting energy onto the grid and getting it quickly, as lead times are lower (than for coal-fired power stations)."

China, whose economy is growing at breakneck speed, currently gets around 45 percent of its crude oil from abroad and has pledged to boost efficiency and use of alternative energy sources to curb soaring demand.

The country, which is encouraging the development of renewable energy by offering preferential tax treatments or subsidies, has also said it wants to slow growth in emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas.

Thomas said that, with climate change an increasingly important political topic, he prefers companies involved in wind power to the solar sector.

"(Public awareness of) climate change has seen a really notable change in policy ... and there is scope for further (political) developments over the next six months," he said.
"You always have to be worried that it is not just talk. (But) you are seeing deliverables. Demand for wind turbines has increased dramatically over the last year and forward order books are very, very strong."