WindEnergy Hamburg closed its doors on Friday after a week of agenda-setting discussion on the policy and market issues shaping the global wind power industry.
The tone was set from the outset when leading politicians and industry executives spelled out the crucial importance of wind manufacturing to national and regional security, with Europe in particular warned not to “create a new energy dependency” by allowing it to leak away.
Sustaining a wind power industrial base needs a healthy pipeline of projects, not least in key markets such as Germany, which climate minister Robert Habeck said needs to see concerted action by its states to remove obstacles to onshore development.
Another issue at the forefront of minds in Hamburg was EU plans for a revenue cap, which wind and solar industry bodies warned could drive investment away from the bloc if not properly structured.
The challenges facing the wind power supply chain, meanwhile, were brought into stark focus by the end of the week when OEM giant Siemens Gamesa announced plans to cut almost 3,000 jobs – with Europe set to bear the brunt.
Looking further afield, the huge offshore wind growth opportunities in Asia, where the industry spoke out strongly in favour of regional supply chains, and policy leadership in renewables and green hydrogen shown by the US also featured in Recharge’s reporting from WindEnergy Hamburg in its role as official news partner.
The week brought the usual heavy emphasis on technological innovation, for example in the form of what’s billed as the world’s tallest onshore wind tower from Vestas and a cost-cutting lightweight crane concept for floating turbine O&M from Fred Olsen 1848.
Notable debuts at WindEnergy Hamburg included the newly-renamed Skyborn Renewables, whose CEO set out the company’s ambitions in an exclusive interview.
If you missed any of the action from Hamburg, never fear – Recharge’s dedicated Live Centre featuring news and analysis from the event will remain online into next week.
