Abstract
Large-scale wind energy farms become more critical in upcoming years. Mass production of a large number of wind energy components and structures is of paramount importance. Conventional arc welding is fully developed and reliable, however its production rates is low. Laser beam is an attractive option since it provides substantially higher penetration depths in a single pass. Moreover, welding speeds can be increased providing a significant boost in production rates. However, to fully utilize its potential, some challenges must be resolved. In this work, a review on potential use, advantages, disadvantages, challenges and solutions are presented. Recent developments are presented for at least the past five years and future trends are identified.