WindEurope Bulletin
WindEurope Bulletin June 2025
6 June 2025
A word from the CEO
Dear WindEurope member,
It’s now 5 weeks since the major electricity blackout in Spain and Portugal. 2 inquiries are looking into the causes. The Spanish Government launched the first, with input from Transmission System Operator Red Eléctrica. ENTSO-E, the European body of national TSOs, is running the other – with help from the EU Commission. They should come back with their findings in three to six months’ time.
One thing is clear – we’ve got to urgently invest in Europe’s electricity grid. It isn’t keeping pace as our energy mix evolves. Renewables aren’t the problem. We need a smarter, more resilient grid – with more energy storage and flexibility to balance more variable supply. And we need more demand response. To get there we need better top-down planning of the network. Anticipatory investments to connect future renewables projects. And better management of grid connection queues, prioritising grid permits for strategic projects. That way we can keep the lights on and secure Europe’s economic competitiveness.
The EU really get it now on grids. The Commission is bringing in a new legislative Grids Package by the end of the year. And the Clean Industrial Deal also aims to ramp up Europe’s grid supply chains – and tackle bottlenecks that are already slowing down wind projects and leaving some new wind farms unconnected. You can read more about this and our response to the blackout here.
Elsewhere last month the UK and EU agreed to explore how the UK can come (back) into the EU internal electricity market. This is excellent news. It’ll bring down electricity prices in both the UK and EU. The EU and UK have also agreed to create mutual exemptions on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism – meaning less disruption to the wind supply chain. You can read more about all this here.
The last month has seen significant developments in national politics. Romania and Poland both held presidential elections. In Romania the more moderate candidate won – which is good for the country’s ambitions on wind. Not so in Poland. Their new right-wing President is likely to clash with the Tusk Government on energy policy – which could affect the latter’s pro-wind energy agenda. Poland has big ambitions for offshore wind. Their recent 1.4 GW FID on Baltyk 2 and 3 was a big breakthrough. Now the Dutch Government has fallen, which means new elections later this year.
Finally can I remind you that WindEurope’s annual Technology Workshop on resource assessment and analysis of operating wind farms is in Istanbul later this month. The programme is here. And you can click here to register.
Kind regards,
Giles Dickson
WindEurope Intelligence Platform
Horizon Europe 2025 Webinar
The European Commission have published the 2025 Horizon Europe Work Programme. They’ve made €58m exclusively available to wind energy across three calls under Cluster 5 – Climate, Energy and Mobility.
Last month WindEurope hosted a free webinar to take a closer look at these Horizon Europe calls. Representatives from the Commission presented the calls and experts from leading wind energy companies outlined the sector’s R&I priorities.
Members’ Successes
Ocean Ecostructures recognised by Ocean Winds and Innovate UK for nature-inclusive innovation in Offshore Wind Challenge
Nature Inclusive Designs (NIDs) are an emerging method for promoting biodiversity on structures in the marine environment. The NIDs currently being trialled within the offshore wind sector tend to be associated with bottom-fixed offshore wind farms and used in place of rock protection for cables and scour protection at the base of turbine foundations. Due to a lack of bottom-fixed foundations on floating offshore wind farms, and the dynamic nature of the mooring chains and cables, the typical areas for inclusion of NIDs are limited. Henceforth, Ocean Winds launched an innovation challenge jointly with Innovate UK to seek solutions in the UK ecosystem enabling NIDs to be utilised on floating wind farms. Ocean Ecostructures’ efficient and versatile solution was deemed to fulfil the requirements and was selected as the winner of the challenge.
Ocean Ecostructures has developed a Bio Boosting System®, an innovative solution combining biomimetic micro-reefs with an advanced monitoring and reporting system. Three elements were highlighted by Ocean Winds:
- High efficiency fostering biodiversity growth. Each micro-reef includes a microfauna attraction system, calcium carbonate substrate, and multi-layer design to enable a nursery effect, replicating the functioning of natural reefs.
- Versatility of the solution. Being able to improve biodiversity on or surrounding floating WTG anchors and on floating structures below the waterline.
- A proven monitoring system, using ROVs and leveraging Artificial Intelligence-based software for the analysis and reporting of results.
Ocean Ecostructures, a scalable solution adapted to any offshore structure
Offshore wind plays a crucial role in achieving the EU’s decarbonisation goals. However, the construction of fixed and floating foundations, submarine cabling, and electrical substations necessary to connect wind farms to the grid also has an environmental impact.
These impacts can be mitigated by attaching non-structural biomimetic micro-reefs to these structures, fostering the development of resilient, fully functional ecosystems and turning infrastructures into biodiversity repositories. As a result, the company is driving a paradigm shift by turning marine infrastructures into true blue oases.
In addition, Ocean Ecostructures provides its clients with a monitoring service through underwater drones and reporting, storing all the information of each of the micro-reefs directly in the cloud.
Data such as the increase in biodiversity, biomass, CO2 or oxygen in water are reported through its exclusive platform, iOceans, which makes it possible to value the natural capital that each infrastructure component contributes to its environment. This helps companies in their ESG strategies and brings them closer to the goal of becoming nature positive.
Improving Onshore Wind Modelling with Whiffle’s LES-Powered WRGs
Accurate, long-term wind data is essential at every stage of wind farm development, from feasibility and layout design to energy yield analysis. To support this, Whiffle has introduced a new Statistics module within its Whiffle Wind platform, delivering long-term representative Wind Resource Grids (WRGs), turbulence statistics, and energy production estimates – all generated using full-physics, high resolution Large-Eddy Simulation (LES).
Modelling wind flow onshore has always been challenging. Terrain, land cover, and limited measurement data often expose the limits of conventional approaches, especially when accurate inputs are needed for layout and yield estimation. Many WRGs in current use are derived from mesoscale models or statistical extrapolations, which often lack the resolution to capture local flow features that impact layout, turbulence loading, and long-term performance estimates.
Whiffle Wind’s WRGs are generated using full-physics LES at 100 m resolution and up to six hub heights. They include wind speed, direction, turbulence intensity, shear, and power density – key inputs used throughout the project development cycle. Outputs are delivered within 6–24 hours and are designed to integrate directly into existing workflows, supporting tools such as WindPRO, OpenWind, and similar applications.
How it works
Whiffle Wind Statistics generates WRGs using the following method:
- 180 LES days are selected to represent the directional and temporal variability of a 20-year wind climate.
- LES runs at a 100 m resolution, so WRGs are compiled directly from resolved flow fields, with no interpolation or statistical downscaling of mesoscale data.
- Simulations incorporate all relevant physical inputs, including orography, surface roughness, vegetation, soil moisture, and surface heating.
"Full-physics LES allows us to resolve flow interactions with terrain, land cover, and thermal effects in much greater detail than conventional models", said Remco Verzijlbergh, co-founder and CEO at Whiffle. "With the Statistics module, we provide high-resolution, long-term representative WRGs particularly valuable in early-stage development, where site data is limited and modelling accuracy has a major impact on layout and yield estimates. With this product, we aimed for a good balance between the precision of high-fidelity LES modelling and long-term representativity at an attractive price point."
Meet Whiffle at the WindEurope Technology Workshop
Whiffle is an official event sponsor at the upcoming WindEurope Technology Workshop. Visit the team in the exhibition area to discuss how LES-based modelling can support your wind project needs. Meeting slots can be scheduled in advance via this form.
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!
Member’s Interview
Senkron Digital
This month, we sat down with Ali Inal, Managing Director at Senkron Digital to discuss their role as a trusted provider of digital and cybersecurity services for wind asset operators, their core offerings, and why the future relationship between operators and digital players needs to shift.
Partnered Events
WindEurope & European Investment Bank Webinar
Date: Tuesday 24 June, 15:00 – 15:45 CEST
Join us for a free webinar on the upcoming 2025 Innovation Fund call for proposals, with a focus on the grant programme and associated Project Development Assistance (PDA) support.
Experts from the European Investment Bank (EIB) will provide an overview of available services, key timelines, and the application process. We will also look at advisory opportunities under InvestEU, with special insight from a member of the Bank’s lending team.
Whether you’re preparing a proposal or seeking guidance on project development, this webinar will give you with the tools and information you need to navigate the Innovation Fund landscape effectively.
ETIPWind final event: From Innovation to Industrial Competitiveness
Join us for the final event of ETIPWind in Brussels as we reflect on the project’s achievements and explore the future of wind energy innovation in Europe. The event will open with remarks from representatives of the European Commission (DG ENER, DG RTD), followed by a panel discussion that will:
- Highlight ETIPWind’s key accomplishments and the progress of wind energy technologies.
- Examine the evolution of Research & Innovation (R&I) priorities since the project’s launch.
- Explore the potential for establishing a European Fund for Wind Research & Competitiveness in collaboration with the European Commission.
Register now and help us shape the next chapter of European wind energy R&I. Registrations in person must be made by 20 June at the latest.
Events
WindEurope Technology Workshop 2025
The countdown is on! The wind industry’s technical community is coming to Istanbul in less than two weeks for WindEurope’s Technology Workshop – two days of networking and catching up on the latest trends in wind resource assessment and analysis of operating wind farms. Here’s a preview of what you can look forward to…
- Two days of conference sessions looking at more than a dozen technical topics.
- Poster presenters showcasing their latest research and findings.
- Networking opportunities with your colleagues, with plenty of food and drink.
- One of the world’s most iconic, timeless cities on your doorstep.
Newcomers and experienced professionals, whatever your background, everyone is welcome at the Workshop – and we’d value your insight!
EoLIS 2025 – Register your interest
EoLIS – WindEurope’s End-of-Life Issues and Strategies Seminar – is back this November.
Join 250+ operators & manufacturers, academics, sustainability experts and other industry professionals in Lisbon as we look at new solutions to Europe’s ageing turbine fleet – and making our industry more circular in design.
But first – we need your help to set the agenda! If there’s any topic you’d like us to cover more, or if you have other suggestions for session topics, please register your interest and fill in this quick pre-event survey! We’d greatly value your feedback and input for our next edition!
We hope you can join us in Lisbon! In the meantime, you can click here to save the date.
WindEurope Annual Event 2026 – Book your stand!
The WindEurope’s next annual event is in Spain once again from 21-23 April next year – this time at the IFEMA in Madrid! You can expect a wide-ranging conference and exhibition with over 15,000 attendees, hundreds of speakers and plenty of networking opportunities. We hope you can join us!
A reminder that exhibition stand sales are still open! Check out the floorplan here and get in touch with the WindEurope team now to book your preferred spot.
Note: This year’s Call for Abstracts to shape the event agenda will be opening later this month – so stay tuned!
Windflix
Giles & Pierre talk grids 5 weeks on from the Iberian blackout
The blackout in Spain and Portugal was a wake-up call on the need for grid resilience. Giles & Pierre discuss this. And the latest from Poland, Romania, the Netherlands and Germany.
