WindEurope Bulletin
WindEurope Bulletin July 2024
3 July 2024
A word from the CEO
Dear WindEurope member,
Last week was our Annual General Assembly with the biennial elections to our Board. Many thanks to all of you who took part and voted. Nearly 200 of our 600 members voted, either in person, online or by proxy. Many thanks also to the record number who ran for election.
Congratulations to our newly-elected members who will now serve on the Board for the next two years:
- Martin Neubert – Chief Investment Officer, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners
- Lucy Craig – Director, Growth Innovation & Digital, DNV
- Rebecca Sedler – Managing Director Interconnectors, National Grid
- Jan Hylleberg – Deputy CEO, Green Power Denmark
- Juan Virgilio Márquez – Director-General, Spanish Wind Energy Association (AEE)
- Dan McGrail – CEO, RenewableUK
- Peter Hjuler – Deputy Head of Department, DTU
Thank you also to everyone who came to the WindEurope Summer Reception afterwards. It was very good to catch up with you.
And a final thank you to all of you who mobilised your staff and colleagues to vote in the European elections last month. So what do we make of the results? The far-right have gained ground, yes. But the mainstream parties still have a clear majority of seats. And they all support the continued expansion of renewables and the build-out of electricity grids.
The big difference to before is that in the last Parliament you could secure a majority with the socialists, liberals and greens and a few from the centre-right EPP. Now you need most if not all of the EPP. That’s OK on renewables and grids. But there are some aspects of the Green Deal the EPP want to push back on, such as new obligations on farmers and making individuals pay a carbon price for their motor cars and gas boilers at home.
The key here is how far the EPP and the new European Parliament support electrification. They may soften the 2035 deadline for making all new cars electric. But they are more supportive of the electrification of heavy industry.
We are pushing the latter hard now, notably with the steel, chemicals, cement and metals industries. And we’re supporting the idea that Europe needs an Industrial Deal alongside its Green Deal to help industry decarbonise and remain competitive. This is crucial, not least when all these sectors are key to our supply chain and want more wind to help them electrify.
Our five main asks of the new European Parliament – and the new EU Commission they’re about to appoint – are:
- Invest massively in electricity grids.
- Accelerate the permitting of renewables, grids and industry.
- Help heavy industry electrify.
- Ensure a level playing field for Europe’s clean tech industry.
- Focus innovation on scale-up of new technologies.
To help push these points and to tell the story of wind to new policymakers we’ve just produced a booklet of key facts and figures on wind in Europe – and how it benefits the economy and society. It’s here on our website. If you want hard copies, let us know.
We’ve talked about the European elections. You might be thinking, what about the French elections. And the UK’s. Indeed, both are crucial. As things stand we expect a positive change of Government in the UK. France is much less clear – there could well be no overall winners. We’ll keep you posted on the implications.
A quick word on our events this Autumn. RE-Source, Europe’s biggest gathering for renewable corporate buyers and sellers, is in Amsterdam from 24-25 October. Registration opens this week. And EoLIS, our annual workshop looking at turbine end-of-life and circularity, is in Gothenburg on 4-5 December. Registration opens in September.
I wish you all a pleasant and restful summer break.
Kind regards,
Giles Dickson
WindEurope Intelligence Platform
Our featured products this month
Grid access challenges for wind farms in Europe
To better understand the different grid permitting and curtailment practices across Europe, WindEurope launched a survey in October 2023 to gather information from stakeholders at a national level. Several companies and national wind energy associations have made a significant contribution – and have been acknowledged at the start of this report.
Our aim is to summarise the findings of this survey, and to recommend processes that national policymakers can use to improve grid access for wind farms. The report analyses feedback from Belgium, Croatia, Estonia, Germany, Greece, France, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden and the UK.
This booklet contains everything the industry and policymakers need to know about wind energy in Europe – as well as our five asks of the EU for the next five years.
Wind will be central to delivering climate neutrality while making Europe more competitive, resilient and secure. Wind is now 19% of the electricity we consume in Europe. And this will continue to grow as the EU wants wind to be 35% of the in the electricity mix in 2030 and over half by 2050.
Members’ Successes
First Airborne
First Airborne has begun its first offshore campaign following a strong two-year onshore presence across the EU and USA. First Airborne aims to transform offshore wind farm performance testing with state-of-the-art technologies.
The company transforms wind power services through automation and robotics. The core of their methodology is the Windborne™ sensor, a precise and scalable wind turbine performance assessment instrument installed on a drone.
Unlike other conventional approaches, such as LiDAR systems or met masts, the Windborne™ sensor acts as an aerial “flying met mast”. It collects accurate wind data upwind from turbines at different distances and elevations. This allows drones to target specific wind bins and sectors, facilitating comprehensive performance testing of complete wind farms in days or weeks.
Offshore Milestone: TetraSpar Innovation Challenge
First Airborne’s expertise was recently demonstrated at the TetraSpar Innovation Challenge, part of the Demonstrator floating offshore wind project involving Shell, TEPCO Renewable Power, RWE, and Stiesdal Offshore. Selected as one of eight Innovation Partners, First Airborne is advancing floating offshore wind on the Norwegian continental shelf.
The TetraSpar project, operational at the METCentre test site in Norway since December 2021, provides “real-world” data for testing. Here, First Airborne’s Windborne™ sensor measures offshore wind conditions directly, unaffected by platform or sea movements. This technology, requiring only a single operator, can reduce logistical costs, enhance efficiency, and shorten project timelines.
Unlocking Offshore Potential
Expansive offshore zones provide plentiful wind energy. The trend towards larger, more powerful turbines means that downtime and underperformance can lead to massive energy losses. Capitalising on these resources is vital for global energy needs.
The Windborne™ sensor enables precise data collection, reducing the cost, time, and environmental impacts associated with traditional subsea inspections. By automating performance assessments, operators can optimise maintenance strategies and enhance overall efficiency.
In short
First Airborne’s entry into the offshore wind sector with the Windborne™ sensor marks a significant leap forward in monitoring and optimising wind turbine performance. As the industry moves toward autonomous solutions, greater efficiency and sustainability in offshore wind energy can be expected, delivering a bright future for renewable energy at sea.
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!
Events
WindEnergy Hamburg 2024
WindEnergy Hamburg, the biennial global industry gathering, returns this September for a four-day trade event – and WindEurope will be there as the European Partner. We’ll be running two sessions a day at the Energy Transition Stage in Hall B6 – looking at a range of industry topics:
- Scaling up Europe’s supply chain;
- Developing offshore wind in harmony with nature;
- European collaboration on wind R&I;
- Fast-tracking industry electrification;
- Renewable hydrogen in the North Sea; and
- The role of PPAs in the buildout of wind.
We’ll also be giving national market updates and taking an exclusive look at our latest WindEurope outlook & statistics. And you can also join us at the WindEurope Stand (310) in Hall B6 for a “Wine o’clock” networking drinks reception – starting at 17:30 on Day 1. We’d be delighted to catch up with you!
See you this September in Hamburg!
WindEurope Annual Event 2025 – Call for abstracts open!
WindEurope’s next Annual Event is back in Copenhagen from 8-10 April next year. And we’ve just opened the call for abstracts to help frame the conference agenda – and put new and burning items on the table!
You can check out the full guidelines here – plus the list of topics. Broadly speaking we’re looking for:
- Concrete examples of implemented operational solutions, experience and feedback from the field.
- Real world data, but also innovative research and concepts to bring the industry forward.
The deadline is 6 September – but early submission is encouraged! We look forward to hearing from you.
RE-Source 2024 – Registration opening this week!
RE-Source – Europe’s biggest renewable energy sourcing event – returns to Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam from 24-25 October! Join us and be part of Europe’s leading forum for clean energy buyers and sellers.
What can you expect from the 2024 edition?
- A packed programme giving you the tools you need to fast-track your energy strategy.
- A chance to network with 1,400+ participants.
- An opportunity to hear from and engage with 100+ senior political and industry speakers.
- 350+ prescheduled B2B meetings between clean energy buyers and suppliers.
Registration opens later this week! Stay tuned and we’ll see you in Amsterdam this October.
EoLIS 2024 – We want to hear from you!
EoLIS – WindEurope’s End-of-Life Issues & Strategies Seminar – is our annual get-together looking at the challenges and possibilities for our older turbine fleets. Check out the photos and video from our last edition in Rotterdam.
This year we’ll be heading to Gothenburg from 4-5 December for a two-day roundup of all the latest developments in the field of turbine end-of-life – with 250+ technical enthusiasts joining from around Europe!
But ahead of the event, we want to hear your opinion. We’re running a survey to determine the focus of the 2024 edition – click here to fill it in. Please let us know if there’s any specific subject you’d like to hear about!
Registration will open in September! Stay tuned.
