The European market for planetary gearboxes is growing by around 8% a year and will be worth more than $1,800m by 2009, says a new study. The report, from IMS Research, says that one of the main reasons for this growth is the increasing demand for high-torque planetary boxes for wind turbine applications.

In 2005, the energy sector, including windpower, accounted for more than 40% of the European planetary market. The combination of high energy process, concerns about climate change, and the availability of EU financial incentives, will continue to drive sales over the next few years. IMS predicts.