“uåX˜äŠÊ˜·³Ç

British companies continue to make inroads into the market for wind turbines with the latest acquisition by Parsons Peebles Holdings (PPH) of a majority stake in Nordic “uåX˜äŠÊ˜·³Ç of Sweden. London-based PPH owns generator and electrical motor manufacturer Parsons Peebles Machines of Scotland. David Roberts of PPH says the group has been investigating opportunities to enter the rapidly expanding wind turbine market. "We trust that our significant and ongoing investment in the company and the development of its technology will ensure that Nordic becomes a major player in the international wind power business over the coming years." He adds: "Nordic “uåX˜äŠÊ˜·³Ç's two-bladed design provides the market with the most cost effective solution, both in terms of the initial purchase and the whole of life operating costs." Unlike most wind turbines on the market, the lightweight 1 MW Nordic machine is based on a "soft" concept, where loads from the force of the wind are absorbed by aerodynamic damping, rather like a tree moving in the wind. This leads to reduced materials and lower weight, the manufacturer claims. Since Nordic was established in 1990, it has sold a handful of turbines only to the Swedish market. Director Bruno Bergkvist says: "With Parsons Peebles as our new owner, Nordic “uåX˜äŠÊ˜·³Ç will have immediate access to a comprehensive sales and marketing network which will allow us to exploit European and other world markets." With its investment in a wind turbine manufacturer from the European continent, PPH follows both FKI, which bought German Dewind, and Peter Brotherhood, which is marketing Repower turbines, also from Germany.