Back to supply chains
Where does Vestas Wind Systems source its components?
Denmark. Supply chain mapped to 39 inputs across 12 countries.
Federal screeningClean
No federal designation found. Vestas Wind Systems is not named on any of the 3 federal restricted-party lists screened for this record (DOD Section 1260H, BIS Entity List, OFAC SDN List), and Denmark is not a covered nation under the FEOC rules. Is Vestas Wind Systems a Foreign Entity of Concern?
Upstream sourcing exposure
Medium37% weighted
9 in covered nations - 11 elevated, of 39 nodes.
Where inputs are mined and refined. Not a FEOC determination for the company -- see the federal list screening above.
Refining chokepoint
3 of 7 processing/refining steps in covered nations
Producer1
Supplier1
Component9
Processing / Refining7
Raw Material14
Mine / Extraction6
Logistics1
designated covered nation elevated no known factor not assessed
Loading chain view...
Sourcing Concentration by Country
Covered NationAllied NationOther
Sourcing risk across the graph
Where each input is mined or refined. Not a FEOC determination for the company.
0
Designated (0%)
9
Covered nation (23%)
11
Elevated (28%)
19
No known factor (49%)
Legend
Node Types
Producer
Supplier
Component
Processing / Refining
Raw Material
Mine / Extraction
Logistics
Sourcing risk
Federally designated - named on a restricted-party list
Covered nation - sited in China, Russia, Iran or North Korea
Elevated - documented concentration risk, no federal listing
No known risk factor - not a compliance clearance
Not assessed - no sourcing judgement was made
Relationships
Transformation - manufactures / assembles
Refining - midstream processing (FEOC chokepoint)
Supply handoff - supplies / sources from
Arrows point in the direction material flows (input to product).
Every mapped input in the Vestas Wind Systems supply chain
39 nodes, grouped by supply-chain tier. Sourcing risk describes where an input is mined or refined; it is not a FEOC determination for Vestas Wind Systems.
Producer (1)
| Input | Origin | Sourcing risk | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vestas Wind SystemsHQ Aarhus, DK; nacelle/blade plants in Denmark, Germany, Spain, Colorado (US), India, China | Denmark | No known risk factor | World's largest wind OEM. Allied-domiciled; FEOC exposure sits downstream in refined inputs, not the parent. |
Supplier (1)
| Input | Origin | Sourcing risk | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| IGBT / SiC Power ModulesDanfoss Silicon Power (DK), Semikron, Mitsubishi, ABB | Denmark | Elevated sourcing risk | Semiconductor switches in the converter. Module makers allied; silicon feedstock China-heavy. |
Component (9)
| Input | Origin | Sourcing risk | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nacelle AssemblyBrighton, Colorado (US); Aarhus/Nakskov, DK | Denmark | No known risk factor | Houses bedplate, generator, gearbox, converter, control systems. |
| Rotor BladesVestas blade plants: Nakskov DK, Lauchhammer DE, Windsor CO (US), India | Denmark | Elevated sourcing risk | Composite sandwich: glass/carbon fiber + epoxy + balsa/PET core. FEOC risk via China-processed carbon fiber and balsa core. |
| Steel TowerPueblo CO (US) and European tower suppliers | Denmark | No known risk factor | ~80%+ of turbine mass. Tubular rolled/welded steel plate. Allied steelmakers dominate. |
| Rotor Hub & CastingsEuropean/Asian ductile iron foundries | Denmark | Elevated sourcing risk | Cast ductile (nodular) iron hub, main bearing housing, bedplate. Some castings sourced from Chinese foundries. |
| GearboxWinergy/Flender, ZF wind plants (DE) | Germany | No known risk factor | Vestas uses geared drivetrains (5-10x less rare earth than direct-drive). Steel gears + bearings. |
| Generator (PM / DFIG)Vestas / European generator suppliers | Denmark | Elevated sourcing risk | EnVentus/GridStreamer use permanent-magnet generators; copper windings + electrical steel + NdFeB magnets. |
| Power Converter & ElectronicsDanfoss (DK), Semikron, ABB, Mitsubishi modules | Denmark | Elevated sourcing risk | Full-scale IGBT/SiC converter. Semiconductors depend on silicon/polysilicon midstream. |
| Bearings (main shaft & gearbox)SKF, Schaeffler, Timken | Sweden | No known risk factor | SKF supplies ~50% of wind bearings. High-carbon bearing steel. |
| Power Cabling & BusbarsEuropean/Asian cable makers | Denmark | Elevated sourcing risk | ~58% of turbine copper is in cabling. Copper conductor FEOC risk via refining. |
Processing and refining (7)
| Input | Origin | Sourcing risk | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rare Earth Separation & Refining (China)Chinese separation/metal-making plants | China | Covered nation | China holds ~90% of global RE separation & refining capacity. THE FEOC chokepoint: allied-mined ore historically refined here. |
| Rare Earth Separation (MP Materials)Mountain Pass, California; Independence, TX magnet plant | United States | No known risk factor | Only US integrated RE separation. NdPr ~99.9% pure. Building domestic mine-to-magnet chain. |
| Rare Earth Separation (Lynas)Lynas Kalgoorlie (AU) + Kuantan (Malaysia) | Malaysia | No known risk factor | Largest ex-China separator of NdPr. Allied-controlled midstream alternative. |
| Copper Smelting & Refining (China)Chinese copper smelters | China | Covered nation | China refines ~40%+ of world copper cathode. China-refined cathode path is flagged. |
| Copper Smelting & Refining (Chile/allied)Codelco/allied smelters (Chile, US, Europe) | Chile | No known risk factor | Allied-refined cathode path is clean. |
| Steelmaking (EAF/BF)ArcelorMittal/voestalpine mills, EU/US/Korea | Luxembourg | No known risk factor | Ore/scrap to plate. Allied mills; refining step for steel. |
| Silicon Refining (China)Chinese silicon smelters | China | Covered nation | China holds dominant silicon metal / polysilicon refining share. FEOC chokepoint for electronics feedstock. |
Raw material (14)
| Input | Origin | Sourcing risk | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| NdFeB Permanent MagnetsSintered magnet plants, China (Ningbo, Baotou region) | China | Covered nation | China makes ~90-94% of finished sintered NdFeB magnets. Vestas exploring ex-China (Neo Estonia) but supply is China-dominated. |
| NdPr Oxide (separated rare earth)Rare earth separation circuits | China | Covered nation | Neodymium-praseodymium oxide. Separation is the true chokepoint. |
| Dysprosium / Terbium (heavy REE)Ionic-clay heavy REE processing, S. China / Myanmar | China | Covered nation | Heavy rare earths for magnet coercivity. Vestas phasing these out; nearly 100% China/Myanmar sourced. |
| Copper (windings, cable, busbar)Cathode from global smelters | Chile | Elevated sourcing risk | 400-4,000 kg Cu per turbine. FEOC risk depends on where cathode is refined. |
| Carbon Fiber (spar caps)Zoltek (Toray group) | United States | No known risk factor | Pultruded carbon spar caps for blade stiffness. Zoltek ~12,000 t/yr to wind. |
| PAN PrecursorZoltek internal PAN lines; Toray Japan/US/Korea | United States | No known risk factor | Polyacrylonitrile precursor. Zoltek makes PAN in-house, avoiding bottlenecks. |
| Carbon Fiber (China midstream)Chinese CF producers | China | Covered nation | Rapidly growing Chinese CF capacity used by some blade supply chains; China-processed fiber is flagged. |
| Glass Fiber ReinforcementOwens Corning, Jushi, PPG | United States | Elevated sourcing risk | Primary blade reinforcement. Allied producers clean; Chinese Jushi glass fiber is flagged. |
| Epoxy Resin & HardenerHexion/Westlake, Olin, Arkema (Elium) | United States | No known risk factor | Infusion resin binding the composite. Allied specialty-chemical supply. |
| Balsa Core3A Composites BALTEK; Ecuadorian plantations | Ecuador | Elevated sourcing risk | Blade sandwich core. Ecuador ~95% of world balsa but China is dominant processing destination. |
| PET Foam Core3A Composites AIREX, Armacell, Gurit | Switzerland | Elevated sourcing risk | Recyclable foam core, increasingly replacing balsa. PET resin feedstock varies by origin. |
| Structural Steel PlateArcelorMittal, voestalpine, POSCO | Luxembourg | No known risk factor | Tower + structural steel. Allied steelmakers; Vestas offers low-emission EAF-scrap steel. |
| Electrical Steel (generator laminations)Nippon Steel, POSCO, allied producers | Japan | Elevated sourcing risk | Grain-oriented / non-oriented silicon steel for generator core. China is a large producer; source-dependent. |
| Silicon Metal / PolysiliconChinese silicon/polysilicon smelters | China | Covered nation | Feedstock for power-electronics wafers. China dominates silicon metal & polysilicon midstream. |
Mine and extraction (6)
| Input | Origin | Sourcing risk | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Pass MineSan Bernardino County, California | United States | No known risk factor | Only active US rare earth mine. Bastnaesite ore, high grade. |
| Mount Weld MineWestern Australia (Lynas) | Australia | No known risk factor | World's lowest-cost source of separated NdPr feedstock. High-grade REE deposit. |
| Bayan Obo / Ionic Clay MinesBayan Obo (Inner Mongolia); ionic-clay S. China & Myanmar | China | Covered nation | ~60% of global magnet-REE mining. Dominant feedstock into China refining. |
| Copper MineEscondida, Chuquicamata (Chile); also Peru/US | Chile | No known risk factor | Chile = world's largest copper miner (~5.2 Mt/yr). Mining is allied-diverse. |
| Balsa Plantations (Ecuador)Coastal Ecuador plantations | Ecuador | No known risk factor | Grown/harvested feedstock. Supply strained by illegal logging. |
| Iron Ore MinePilbara (AU), Brazil (Vale) | Australia | No known risk factor | Feedstock for steel. Mining is allied-diverse. |
Logistics (1)
| Input | Origin | Sourcing risk | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blade & Nacelle LogisticsSpecialized oversize road/rail/marine transport | Denmark | No known risk factor | Blades up to ~100m require dedicated transport frames and heavy-lift vessels. |
Material flow (48 relationships)
- Vestas Wind Systems manufactures Nacelle Assembly (Nacelle Assembly)
- Vestas Wind Systems manufactures Rotor Blades (Rotor Blades)
- Vestas Wind Systems assembles Steel Tower (Steel Tower)
- Vestas Wind Systems assembles Rotor Hub & Castings (Rotor Hub & Castings)
- Vestas Wind Systems sources from Blade & Nacelle Logistics (Transport & Logistics)
- Nacelle Assembly assembles Gearbox (Gearbox)
- Nacelle Assembly assembles Generator (PM / DFIG) (Generator)
- Nacelle Assembly assembles Power Converter & Electronics (Power Converter)
- Nacelle Assembly assembles Bearings (main shaft & gearbox) (Main Shaft Bearings)
- Nacelle Assembly assembles Power Cabling & Busbars (Cabling & Busbars)
- Gearbox assembles Bearings (main shaft & gearbox) (Gearbox Bearings)
- Gearbox supplies Structural Steel Plate (Gear Steel)
- Generator (PM / DFIG) supplies NdFeB Permanent Magnets (NdFeB Permanent Magnets)
- Generator (PM / DFIG) supplies Copper (windings, cable, busbar) (Copper Windings)
- Generator (PM / DFIG) supplies Electrical Steel (generator laminations) (Electrical Steel Laminations)
- NdFeB Permanent Magnets supplies NdPr Oxide (separated rare earth) (NdPr Oxide)
- NdFeB Permanent Magnets supplies Dysprosium / Terbium (heavy REE) (Dy/Tb heavy REE)
- NdPr Oxide (separated rare earth) refines Rare Earth Separation & Refining (China) (Separated NdPr (China))
- NdPr Oxide (separated rare earth) refines Rare Earth Separation (MP Materials) (Separated NdPr (MP Materials))
- NdPr Oxide (separated rare earth) refines Rare Earth Separation (Lynas) (Separated NdPr (Lynas))
- Dysprosium / Terbium (heavy REE) refines Rare Earth Separation & Refining (China) (Heavy REE separation)
- Rare Earth Separation (MP Materials) sources from Mountain Pass Mine (Bastnaesite ore)
- Rare Earth Separation (Lynas) sources from Mount Weld Mine (REE concentrate)
- Rare Earth Separation & Refining (China) sources from Bayan Obo / Ionic Clay Mines (REE ore (Bayan Obo / ionic clay))
- Rare Earth Separation & Refining (China) sources from Mount Weld Mine (Allied ore historically refined in China)
- Generator (PM / DFIG) supplies Copper (windings, cable, busbar) (Copper)
- Power Cabling & Busbars supplies Copper (windings, cable, busbar) (Copper conductor)
- Copper (windings, cable, busbar) refines Copper Smelting & Refining (China) (Copper cathode (China))
- Copper (windings, cable, busbar) refines Copper Smelting & Refining (Chile/allied) (Copper cathode (allied))
- Copper Smelting & Refining (China) sources from Copper Mine (Copper concentrate)
- Copper Smelting & Refining (Chile/allied) sources from Copper Mine (Copper concentrate)
- Rotor Blades supplies Carbon Fiber (spar caps) (Carbon Fiber Spar Caps)
- Rotor Blades supplies Glass Fiber Reinforcement (Glass Fiber)
- Rotor Blades supplies Epoxy Resin & Hardener (Epoxy Resin)
- Rotor Blades supplies Balsa Core (Balsa Core)
- Rotor Blades supplies PET Foam Core (PET Foam Core)
- Carbon Fiber (spar caps) supplies PAN Precursor (PAN Precursor)
- Carbon Fiber (spar caps) sources from Carbon Fiber (China midstream) (China midstream CF alternative)
- Balsa Core sources from Balsa Plantations (Ecuador) (Balsa logs)
- Steel Tower supplies Structural Steel Plate (Steel Plate)
- Rotor Hub & Castings supplies Structural Steel Plate (Cast Iron / Steel)
- Structural Steel Plate refines Steelmaking (EAF/BF) (Plate rolling / steelmaking)
- Electrical Steel (generator laminations) refines Steelmaking (EAF/BF) (Silicon steel milling)
- Steelmaking (EAF/BF) sources from Iron Ore Mine (Iron ore)
- Power Converter & Electronics supplies IGBT / SiC Power Modules (IGBT/SiC Modules)
- IGBT / SiC Power Modules supplies Silicon Metal / Polysilicon (Silicon wafer feedstock)
- Silicon Metal / Polysilicon refines Silicon Refining (China) (Silicon / polysilicon refining)
- Bearings (main shaft & gearbox) supplies Structural Steel Plate (Bearing Steel)
Sources and methodology
Research-based supply-chain map compiled from public sources - not an audited bill of materials. Tiers reflect the standard industry structure for this product. Sourcing risk on a node describes where that input is typically mined or refined; it is not a FEOC determination for Vestas Wind Systems, and it is not a screening result for the node itself unless a federal listing is cited against it. Verify against primary documentation before making a compliance determination.
Primary sources (5) - government, filings, standards bodies
- energy.gov energy.gov/eere/wind/wind-manufacturing-and-supply-chain
- energy.gov energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022-02/Neodymium%20Magnets%20Supply%20Chain%20Report%20-%20Final.pdf
- usitc.gov usitc.gov/publications/332/executive_briefings/ebot_from_balsa_wood_to_polymer_foam_in_wind_turbine_blades.pdf
- docs.nrel.gov docs.nrel.gov/docs/fy16osti/66071.pdf
- iea.org iea.org/commentaries/with-new-export-controls-on-critical-minerals-supply-concentration-risks-become-reality
Secondary sources (28) - trade press, analysts, reference works
- us.vestas.com us.vestas.com/en-us/manufacturing
- vestas.com vestas.com/en/sustainability/environment/materials-and-rare-earths
- windpowermonthly.com windpowermonthly.com/article/1523702/exclusive-inside-story-vestas-ground-breaking-new-platform
- windpowermonthly.com windpowermonthly.com/article/1519221/rethinking-use-rare-earth-elements
- grist.org grist.org/energy/offshore-wind-turbines-need-rare-earth-metals-will-there-be-enough-to-go-around/
- discoveryalert.com.au discoveryalert.com.au/processing-power-strategic-architecture-critical-supply/
- raremetals.net raremetals.net/metals/neodymium/supply-chain/
- datadeep.tech datadeep.tech/ndfeb-permanent-magnet-supply-chain/
- rare-earth-mining.com rare-earth-mining.com/mp-materials/
- datadeep.tech datadeep.tech/mountain-pass-rare-earth-mine/
- jubakpicks.com jubakpicks.com/the-road-to-rare-earth-independence-runs-through-lynas-and-mp-materials/
- fastmarkets.com fastmarkets.com/insights/rare-earths-supply-chain/
- ptonline.com ptonline.com/articles/wind-power-blades-energize-composites-manufacturing
- cen.acs.org cen.acs.org/articles/95/i30/Pushing-wind-turbine-blades-toward.html
- compositesworld.com compositesworld.com/articles/core-for-composites-winds-of-change
- 3accorematerials.com 3accorematerials.com/en/markets/renewable-energy
- jotaintl.com jotaintl.com/about-us/academy/zoltek-industrial-carbon-fiber/
- compositesworld.com compositesworld.com/articles/wind-blade-spar-caps-pultruded-to-perfection
- industry.arcelormittal.com industry.arcelormittal.com/market-segments/steel-for-energy/windtowers
- vestas.com vestas.com/en/media/company-news/2024/vestas-introduces-low-emission-steel-offering-for-wind--c3909530
- newsroom.posco.com newsroom.posco.com/en/steel-solutions-in-wind-power/
- woodmac.com woodmac.com/press-releases/global-wind-turbine-fleet-to-consume-over-5.5mt-of-copper-by-2028
- electrispower.com electrispower.com/blog/importance-of-copper-for-wind-power
- skf.com skf.com/group/industries/wind-energy/drivetrain/gearbox
- windpowermonthly.com windpowermonthly.com/article/960903/supplies-whom-wind-industry-gearboxes-bearings
- zf.com zf.com/products/en/wind/home/wind.html
- danfoss.com danfoss.com/en/industries/energy-and-natural-resources/dsp/wind-power-conversion/
- mdpi.com mdpi.com/2079-9292/12/2/385
Common questions
- Where does Vestas Wind Systems source the inputs in this product?
- This map traces 39 inputs across 12 countries, including 13 mines and refiners. It is compiled from public sources and is not an audited bill of materials.
- How much of the Vestas Wind Systems supply chain sits in a covered nation?
- 9 of 39 mapped inputs are sited in a covered nation (China, Russia, Iran or North Korea) or named on a federal restricted-party list. A further 11 carry elevated sourcing risk without either basis.
- Is Vestas Wind Systems itself a Foreign Entity of Concern?
- No federal designation found. Vestas Wind Systems is not named on any of the 3 federal restricted-party lists screened for this record (DOD Section 1260H, BIS Entity List, OFAC SDN List), and Denmark is not a covered nation under the FEOC rules. Sourcing risk in this map describes where inputs are mined and refined and is a separate question from the company's own federal screening.