Carbon Fiber Spar Caps Become Standard on Offshore Blades
Leading turbine OEMs, including Vestas and Siemens Gamesa, have specified carbon fiber spar caps as standard on their largest offshore platforms, moving away from the all-glass fiber designs that dominated blades under 70 meters. Carbon fiber reduces blade weight meaningfully compared to equivalent glass fiber structures, directly easing the fatigue loading and transportation logistics challenges that come with blades exceeding 100 meters in length. This shift has pulled wind energy into direct competition with aerospace for wind-grade carbon fiber precursor supply, a dynamic that barely existed a decade ago. Precursor allocation now shapes capacity planning as much as siting decisions.
Market Impact: Adds 1.6 million m2 demand








