EU wind sector blown off course by crisis

European wind energy projects are finding it hard to get finance as the economic crisis begins to pinch, with smaller manufacturers announcing hundreds of lay-offs despite the robust performance of the sector heading into the downturn.

"There was such high demand six months ago, you had to stand in line to purchase windmill parts, but now the order books seem to have lightened somewhat," a senior EU financing official told EUobserver.

Two days ago, Siemens Wind Power laid off some...