Top 10 Wind Turbine Manufacturers Using Rare Earths

Wind turbine manufacturers collectively consumed an estimated 20% of global neodymium output in 2025, making the sector the second-largest driver of magnet rare earth demand after electric vehicles. The key input is neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets — used in permanent magnet synchronous generators (PMSGs) fitted to direct-drive and medium-speed turbines. A single large direct-drive offshore turbine contains up to 5 tonnes of NdFeB magnets, incorporating neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), dysprosium (Dy), and terbium (Tb) per megawatt of generating capacity, according to data from Adamas Intelligence.

How We Ranked the Top 10 Wind Turbine Manufacturers

Wind turbine manufacturers are ranked here by cumulative installed capacity as of end-2025, sourced from Windtech International’s May 2026 market data. Ranking criteria reflect total installed base rather than annual shipments, giving weight to companies with sustained market presence and demonstrated rare earth magnet consumption at scale. Rare earth intensity — the drivetrain architecture and magnet volume per MW — is assessed for each entry based on publicly available technical disclosures.

1. Vestas Wind Systems — Denmark

Vestas (CPH: VWS) leads all wind turbine manufacturers globally with more than 203 GW of cumulative installed capacity, including 11 GW offshore. The Danish OEM holds approximately 19% of the global wind turbine market. Vestas primarily deploys doubly-fed induction generators (DFIGs) across its standard onshore fleet, which require negligible rare earths. However, its flagship offshore platforms — including the V236-15.0 MW — use permanent magnet generators, and permanent magnets are now integrated into the tower systems of all new turbine models.

Vestas has been vocal about supply chain strategy: its geared drivetrains use five to ten times less rare earths per MW than direct-drive competitors, a deliberate design choice to reduce China exposure. The company is also phasing out heavy dysprosium and terbium from its magnet formulations. In February 2026, Vestas signed a 1.38 GW order with RWE for the Vanguard West offshore project in the UK, covering 92 V236-15.0 MW turbines — its largest offshore order to date.

Rare earth intensity: Low (geared onshore) to moderate (offshore direct-drive). Key REEs: Nd, Pr, reducing Dy/Tb.

2. Goldwind — China

Goldwind (SHE: 002202 / HKEX: 2208) is the pioneer of permanent magnet direct-drive (PMDD) technology among wind turbine manufacturers, with 163 GW cumulative installed capacity. Founded in 1985, the company built its global market share on gearless PMDD turbines — a design that eliminates mechanical gearbox failures but carries the highest rare earth intensity in the industry. Goldwind installed 29.7 GW during 2025 alone, ranking first globally by annual additions.

The company completed the acquisition of its first overseas turbine blade manufacturing facility in Brazil in 2025 and signed a blade factory agreement in Turkey, expanding its global manufacturing footprint. In Oman, Goldwind completed installation of its first 6.5 MW turbine at the Riyah 2 wind farm. All PMDD platforms require large-format NdFeB magnets, making Goldwind one of the largest single consumers of neodymium and praseodymium among wind OEMs globally.

Rare earth intensity: Very high (PMDD across entire portfolio). Key REEs: Nd, Pr, Dy, Tb.

3. Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy — Spain/Germany

Siemens Gamesa (a Siemens Energy subsidiary) operates 148 GW cumulative installed capacity and leads the offshore wind market by installed base. Its direct-drive SG DD offshore platform series requires large permanent magnet generators. CEO Jochen Eickholt stated publicly that the company is “almost 100 percent reliant on China” for rare earth magnets — the clearest acknowledgement of supply chain vulnerability from any major wind OEM.

In response, Siemens Gamesa signed a multi-year offtake agreement with Arafura Rare Earths, covering hundreds of tonnes of NdPr product annually from the Nolans project in Australia’s Northern Territory — pending project financing. The company has also committed to phasing out heavy rare earths dysprosium and terbium, though no target date has been set. In 2025 and early 2026, Siemens Gamesa has been working to reach operational breakeven as parent Siemens Energy absorbs restructuring costs.

Rare earth intensity: High (offshore direct-drive). Key REEs: Nd, Pr; reducing Dy/Tb.

4. GE Vernova — United States

GE Vernova (NYSE: GEV), formed from GE’s energy business spin-off in 2024, has 125 GW cumulative installed capacity. Its Haliade-X offshore platform — at up to 14 MW one of the largest turbines deployed commercially — uses large-format permanent magnet generators, consuming significant volumes of NdFeB magnet material. GE Vernova’s onshore fleet remains predominantly geared, with lower rare earth intensity.

The company is conducting early-stage research into superconducting generators that would eliminate rare earth requirements entirely for offshore applications — a longer-horizon hedge against supply chain risk. In 2025–2026, GE Vernova has been winding down its offshore wind operations amid sustained financial losses in that segment, with the onshore business remaining its primary revenue driver. The Haliade-X programme continues to deliver on existing order commitments.

Rare earth intensity: High (Haliade-X offshore); low (onshore geared). Key REEs: Nd, Pr, Dy.

5. Envision Energy — China

Envision Energy (private) reached 103 GW of cumulative installed capacity by end-2025 — becoming the fifth manufacturer globally to cross the 100 GW threshold. The company installed 21.8 GW during 2025, making it the second-largest by annual additions globally that year. Envision deploys permanent magnet generators across its high-capacity offshore and advanced onshore platforms, relying on China’s domestic rare earth processing infrastructure — which accounts for approximately 90% of global NdFeB magnet production.

Envision is particularly active in large-scale offshore deployments outside China, with projects in Europe and Southeast Asia. Its smart turbine platforms incorporate digital monitoring that extends magnet service life and optimises operating temperature — reducing the thermal demand on dysprosium additions. The company has not publicly disclosed a non-China rare earth sourcing strategy.

Rare earth intensity: High (offshore and advanced onshore). Key REEs: Nd, Pr, Dy.

6. Windey — China

Windey (SHA: 300772) installed 19.8 GW during 2025, ranking third globally by annual additions and cementing its position among the leading wind turbine manufacturers by volume. Windey’s portfolio spans doubly-fed induction generators (DFIGs) for standard onshore applications — which carry minimal rare earth content — and permanent magnet platforms for ultra-large offshore turbines, where magnet performance at scale is critical.

The company has moved rapidly up the global rankings on the strength of China’s domestic offshore wind buildout, which in 2025 saw Chinese OEMs occupy all five top positions by annual installations for the first time. Windey’s offshore expansion into larger capacity platforms is increasing its per-MW rare earth consumption as it exits the low-intensity onshore DFIG segment.

Rare earth intensity: Low (DFIG onshore) to high (large offshore PM). Key REEs: Nd, Pr.

7. Mingyang Smart Energy — China

Mingyang Smart Energy (SHA: 601615) installed 18.6 GW in 2025 and is the leading Chinese developer of ultra-large offshore turbine platforms. Mingyang’s semi-direct drive and full direct-drive hybrid configurations for deep-water offshore environments consume substantial heavy rare earth volumes — dysprosium and terbium additions are critical for maintaining magnet coercivity under the temperature cycling and corrosive marine conditions characteristic of deep-sea deployments.

Mingyang’s flagship MySE series turbines, including models above 16 MW, push permanent magnet intensity higher than most competitors’ platforms. The company’s reliance on Chinese domestic rare earth supply chains — from separation through magnet sintering — gives it cost advantages in procurement but leaves it fully exposed to any supply disruption or export restriction affecting Chinese processors. Its dysprosium and terbium consumption per unit is among the highest in the industry.

Rare earth intensity: Very high (large offshore semi-direct and direct drive). Key REEs: Nd, Pr, Dy, Tb.

8. SANY Heavy Energy — China

SANY Heavy Energy (SHA: 688349) installed 15.1 GW in 2025 — the fifth-largest annual total globally — driven by China’s domestic onshore and offshore wind buildout. SANY deploys permanent magnet direct-drive configurations for its high-megawatt offshore models, benefiting from direct access to processed rare earth materials through Chinese domestic supply chains. The company has expanded its offshore turbine size class rapidly, with platforms above 10 MW becoming its primary growth segment.

SANY entered the wind turbine market later than competitors such as Goldwind and Mingyang, but has scaled volume quickly on the back of the SANY Group’s manufacturing infrastructure and supply chain integration. Its offshore platforms use NdFeB magnet designs broadly comparable to those of Mingyang, with Dy additions for thermal stability in marine deployments.

Rare earth intensity: Moderate (onshore) to high (large offshore PMDD). Key REEs: Nd, Pr, Dy.

9. Nordex SE — Germany

Nordex SE (XETRA: NDX1) has installed more than 51 GW of turbines globally, primarily through its standard onshore DFIG platforms, which carry near-zero rare earth content. The German OEM’s core product lines — the N175/6.X and Delta4000 series — use doubly-fed induction generators and do not require permanent magnets. This design choice insulates Nordex from NdFeB supply chain risk and China price exposure across the bulk of its business.

Nordex integrates permanent magnet configurations in select hybrid and high-efficiency specialised platforms, and is developing its product roadmap as the market moves toward larger, higher-capacity turbines where PM designs carry performance advantages. Nordex and Vestas both reported profitable growth trajectories in 2025 and 2026, in contrast to the financial difficulties facing Siemens Gamesa and GE Vernova in their wind divisions.

Rare earth intensity: Negligible (standard DFIG) to low (specialist PM platforms). Key REEs: Nd, Pr (limited).

10. Dongfang Electric — China

Dongfang Electric (SHA: 600875 / HKEX: 1072) is one of China’s largest electrical equipment manufacturers, with a substantial wind turbine division producing large-capacity units for China’s expanding coastal and deep-sea offshore wind programme. Dongfang’s offshore turbine platforms use permanent magnet generators incorporating heavy rare earth elements — dysprosium and terbium are essential for maintaining magnet performance under the thermal and corrosive stresses of offshore marine environments.

Dongfang’s integration within China’s state-owned energy sector gives it priority access to domestically processed rare earth materials, including terbium and dysprosium separated by China’s consolidated rare earth producers. Export control measures introduced by China in 2024–2025 on heavy rare earth separation technology have amplified the strategic value of Dongfang’s domestic supply position — an advantage not available to Western OEMs reliant on the same Chinese supply chain.

Rare earth intensity: High (large offshore PM). Key REEs: Nd, Pr, Dy, Tb.

Wind Turbine Manufacturers — Rare Earth Consumption Comparison

Cumulative installed capacity: Windtech International, May 2026. Cumulative figures for Windey, Mingyang, SANY, and Dongfang are estimates based on 2025 annual addition data and prior-year cumulative totals — treat as indicative. REE intensity assessed from public technical disclosures and generator topology. All figures subject to revision.

Rare Earth Supply Chain Risk Facing Wind Turbine Manufacturers

The global wind industry’s dependence on NdFeB permanent magnets creates a structural rare earth supply chain vulnerability. China controls approximately 90% of global NdFeB magnet production — the component that wind turbine manufacturers directly procure — meaning that even OEMs sourcing ore from Australia or Africa typically receive magnets processed and sintered in China. Adamas Intelligence has forecast a potential shortfall of 90,000 metric tonnes per year of NdPr oxide by 2040 if demand growth from EV and wind sectors materialises as projected.

Western OEMs have responded differently. Vestas and Nordex have structured their standard fleets around geared DFIGs specifically to reduce rare earth exposure. Siemens Gamesa and GE Vernova have signed offtake agreements with non-Chinese producers — Arafura Rare Earths in Australia’s case — as insurance against Chinese supply disruption. Chinese OEMs face no equivalent supply risk domestically but are exposed to the geopolitical dynamics that China’s own rare earth export controls have introduced into the global market since 2023.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.