WindEurope Bulletin
WindEurope Bulletin May 2022
6 May 2022
CEO Foreword
Dear Member,
Thank you first of all to all of you who came to WindEurope’s Annual Event in Bilbao last month. It was great to see such a diverse turnout from right across the industry and beyond. And to show Government representatives how committed the wind industry is to delivering energy security for Europe. We’ll be heading to Copenhagen for the next WindEurope Annual Event, 25-27 April 2023. We hope to see many of you there again.
The proceedings from the conference are available here. You can get the password from this Members Area page. If you have trouble logging in, please get in touch with the WindEurope conference team.
The event came at a crucial time for Europe’s energy strategy. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has put energy security centre-stage. In response the EU agreed in March its newly issued REPowerEU energy policy: no more Russian energy imports by 2027, 2/3 reduction in Russian gas imports already this year; an accelerated expansion of renewables, heat pumps, EVs and renewable hydrogen; and simplification of permitting processes to achieve that. REPowerEU envisages the EU expanding its wind energy capacity from 190 GW today to 480 GW in 2040.
The EU Commission will now issue a REPowerEU Action Plan on 18 May with detailed measures. This will include new Guidance to National Governments on how exactly they can simplify their permitting rules and procedures. Plus new legislation that will enshrine the EU’s new principle that the expansion of renewables is a matter of overriding public interest – and a requirement for national Governments to identify go-to areas for the rapid deployment of wind and solar with light-touch permitting.
Thanks in part to the permitting problems, Europe’s wind supply chain is under huge strain at the moment. Because there aren’t enough permitting projects the market is only half the size it should be. We expect the EU to install 18 GW a year over the next 5 years. But it needs to build 35 GW a year to deliver the REPowerEU plan. The supply chain is of course also hurting because key materials and components are harder to source and are more expensive – in part because of the EU’s trade policy.
This calls for a robust policy response. As well as tackling permitting, National Governments need to use non-price criteria in their wind energy auctions. These would give an edge to projects doing the right things on sustainability, energy system integration, and sourcing European content. All of which would help us to “re-shore” wind manufacturing to Europe. This is central to meeting Europe’s energy security challenge: using home grown energy produced with technology made in Europe.
Even with these challenges, the finance sector continues to trust in our technology and industry. Europe invested €41bn in new wind farms in 2021. This financed 25 GW of new capacity, including 19 GW in the EU. It was also a record year for corporate renewable PPAs with 6.9 GW of deals announced, 60% of them in wind. This isn’t enough to meet Europe’s climate and energy objectives of course, but it shows that availability of finance is not a problem – so long as Europe doesn’t temper with its electricity market rules.
The energy crisis has led some Governments to question electricity market rules – particularly how electricity prices are set. Spain and Portugal have now even secured a major exemption to market rules to cap the price of gas for the production of electricity. These uncoordinated market interventions are of course unhelpful – they undermine investor confidence. WindEurope has called for adjustments to Europe’s market rules for a decarbonised and secure energy system. But not a fundamental overhaul that would freeze investments. See our new position on electricity market design here. And our annual Financing and investments trends report here.
A quick look ahead now to the next few weeks. The Renewable Hydrogen Summit takes place in Brussels on 31 May. Renewable hydrogen will be a key ingredient in cutting Europe’s dependence on fossil fuel imports – notably for those parts of heavy industry and transport that cannot be decarbonised via direct electrification. The Summit will feature top policymakers and CEOs. More information is here.
And the annual WindEurope Technology Workshop on Resource Assessment and Analysis of Operating Wind Farms takes place in Brussels on 23-24 June. Registration opened this week. The Technology Workshop is a great showcase for the current state of wind energy technology. This year it’s especially important. Innovation and technology development will be central to our helping Europe to achieve energy security, notably by optimising the performance and efficiency of wind farms, which will be the focus of the Workshop. Click here to sign up.
Kind regards,
Giles Dickson
WindEurope Intelligence Platform
Our featured products this month
Financing and Investment Trends Report 2021
In 2021 €41bn was invested in new wind farms construction in Europe, for a record 24.6 GW of new capacity. In the EU, 19 GW of new projects was financed, well below the 32 GW pa we need to meet our energy targets. Wind projects make an attractive investment and there should be plenty of capital available to finance them going forward. But issues with permitting need to be addressed.
Wind Turbine Orders Monitoring Q1 2022
This report summarises the announced wind turbine orders in each quarter of the year. It also provides a market analysis of the industry based on the number of orders, capacity ordered, sellers, buyers and other sectorial and technology indicators.
Members’ Successes
i4SEE TECH uses Augmented Intelligence to achieve automated analytics at massive scale
The wind industry has recognised that wind turbine operational data can be used to understand the performance and condition of the machines, enabling processes such as predictive maintenance and associated cost savings. However, data collection, cleaning and processing typically requires significant time and human effort. Even a highly experienced performance analyst can only perform detailed checks for a limited number of wind farms on an infrequent basis.
i4SEE TECH has achieved significant technical progress in automation of the entire process, from data connection through to the generation of detailed recommendations. This allows predictive analytics to be deployed at large scale, for multi-GW fleets, with minimal cost and effort. Using a range of available operational data, the current, near-term and long-term status of a large portfolio can be tracked closely and on a regular basis. Acceptance and full adoption of this technology in working processes has been shown to yield high financial gains through reduced human effort, reduced machine downtime and improved output.
i4SEE is working closely with many large fleet owners across Europe, carrying out monthly checks of several thousand wind turbines and leveraging the insights delivered by the new technology. By combining domain expertise with data science and software engineering, a new “Augmented Intelligence” approach has been developed. Bringing together the best of machine learning and human experience, this approach unlocks new levels of efficiency in achieving optimum fleet operations.
Share your successes with us!
Is your brand bringing new, ground-breaking solutions to the wind industry? Have you recently launched a major project in your field? Do you have positive business news to share?
Then make sure to get in touch with us here at WindEurope – we’ll be happy to promote your success story as part of our monthly Bulletin! This is a chance to share your accomplishments with thousands of others from right across the wind energy value chain – a major visibility boost.
Please be aware that this service is only available to members from the categories C3 and above. Publication of stories is on a first come, first served basis.
Get in touch with our Membership team now to send in your news!
Members interview: Falck Renewables
This month, we sat down with Toni Volpe, CEO of Falck Renewables, to discuss their role in the energy transition, the promise of floating wind, and the importance of sustainability and community engagement.
Events
WindEurope Annual Event 2022 – Recap
When: 5-7 April
Where: Bilbao
Thank you to all of you who came to Bilbao last month. This was a big milestone for our industry at an unprecedented time for energy policy in Europe. 9,800 attendees, 334 exhibitors, 250+ guest speakers and more than 55 sessions – the atmosphere was electric. Not to mention all the policy and business breakthroughs as well – helping to put us on track for our climate goals and putting wind energy on the map. We hope you can join us in Copenhagen next April!
You can read our post-event report here. And check out some of the event highlights below:
- Browse the photo gallery
- Watch the event videos
- See Recharge’s live coverage
- Read Energy Monitor’s stories
- Read the exhibitor’s press releases
- See what happened on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram
Renewable Hydrogen Summit
When: 31 May
Where: Brussels
More than ever energy policy is security policy. Renewable hydrogen has emerged as a key solution which will reduce Europe’s dependence on natural gas and oil imports, build a stronger European economy and help us meet our climate goals.
But how can Europe accelerate the scale-up of renewable hydrogen and turn a buzzword into reality? At the Renewable Hydrogen Summit 2022, top CEOs and policymakers will look at how to shape a European market for renewable hydrogen and build the energy landscape of tomorrow. As a founding association of the Renewable Hydrogen Coalition, WindEurope will take part in this key event.
The Summit will take place at the Steigenberger Wiltcher’s Hotel in Brussels on 31 May, 2022, starting at 14:00 CEST. The event will be followed by a networking cocktail reception from 17:30.
WindEurope Technology Workshop 2022
When: 23-24 June
Where: Brussels
In today’s fast-moving environment, it is vital for the wind R&I community to keep delivering new breakthroughs. There are big opportunities for developers and innovators right now and technology is key to ramping up wind farm efficiency and enhancing the analysis of our asset operations.
Join the WindEurope Technology Workshop in Brussels, 23-24 June 2022. The industry’s thought-leaders will be diving into resource assessment, analysis of operating wind farms, AI, business models and forecasting. Network with 350+ professionals onsite from Europe and beyond. Check out the programme here.
WindEnergy Hamburg 2022
When: 27-30 September
Where: Hamburg
WindEnergy Hamburg 2022 promises to be the key global onshore and offshore wind gathering this year, taking place on 27-30 September.
This event will feature the world’s largest wind energy exhibition, including a H2 EXPO & CONFERENCE. And with its comprehensive programme, WindEnergy Hamburg gives all exhibitors and visitors the chance to build on their knowledge and expand their contact base. As in previous years, more than 1,400 exhibitors and 35,000 visitors from all over the world are expected.
WindEurope will be participating in WindEnergy Hamburg as the event’s European Partner.You’ll find us at the New Horizons stage, alongside VDMA and BWE. We’ll also be supporting the event at a number of conference sessions.
Hamburg is Europe’s most important wind energy centre. With its strong national and international ties, Hamburg combines a lot of know-how in the wind energy sector, and the region is also home to excellent manufacturing facilities. All in one of Europe’s most culturally dynamic and beautiful cities.
Jan Rispens, Managing Director at Renewable Energy Hamburg
Check out the event website for further information and register as an exhibitor. We look forward to seeing you there in September.
RE-Source 2022
When: 6-7 October
Where: Amsterdam
This year’s RE-Source Event takes place at the Okura Hotel in Amsterdam, from 6-7 October. This is a key gathering for corporate buyers and sellers from across Europe, where all of the actors in the PPA world can come together and discuss the latest developments.
WindEurope Annual Event 2023 – Copenhagen
When: 25-27 October
Where: Copenhagen
The wind industry is heading to Copenhagen, from 25-27 April 2023. And there’s a lot lined up.
This will be the key European wind energy event of 2023. You can expect a wide-ranging conference shedding light on the state of the industry. Hundreds of companies exhibiting their brands and looking to do business. Guest speakers from Governments, industry, NGOs, financial institutions and centres of learning. And thousands of others from around the world looking to fill themselves in on all things wind.
Our Exhibition Sales for the event have just opened. Click below to see our packages – WindEurope’s members are entitled to reduced rates for stand bookings. This is your chance to put yourself at the heart of the action.
Partnered Events
FOWT Conference 2022
When: 16-18 May
Where: Montpellier
FOWT 2022 will take place at Le Corum in Montpellier from 16-18 May.
The 2021 event saw over 930 participants with more than 90 papers submitted. The 2022 gathering will have a similar focus on the latest trends and innovations in the field. Attendees will also have a chance to make presentations and to network in a B2B setting.
