WindEurope Bulletin
June 2026
18 June 2026
A message from the CEO
Dear WindEurope member,
As many of you will recall from our Annual Event in Madrid, we set out a new Call to Action: our industry’s call for Governments to boost electrification through a 10-Point Plan.
Now we’re seeing that momentum being carried forward at EU level. In mid-July, the European Commission will present its Electrification Action Plan. This will be a key moment in Europe’s shift away from fossil fuels towards homegrown electricity. And we’re working closely with the Commission to make sure it reflects our recommendations from Madrid: boosting supply, better linking supply and demand, and making electrification simpler and more affordable.
On the same day, the Commission will also propose a reform of the Emissions Trading System. The carbon price must do more to drive electrification, while ETS revenues should support industries ready to invest in production powered by renewable electricity rather than gas.
Taken together, these initiatives will help Europe move from crisis to confidence to a secure, competitive energy system built on renewables. We are actively engaging with policymakers to help turn this ambition into real progress.
To support this work, we’re delighted to welcome Salvatore Bernabei, CEO of Enel Green Power, after his recent election as Vice-Chair of WindEurope. From 8 September, he will serve alongside Rasmus Errboe, CEO of Ørsted, who becomes WindEurope Chair.
As Vice-Chair, Salvatore will also take on the role of Chair of our Management Committee, WindEurope’s chief decision-making body, from 8 October. He will be joined by Alfredo Parres, Senior VP & Head of Renewables at Hitachi Energy, who will serve as Management Committee Vice-Chair for the next 18 months. Congratulations to you both, and the very best of luck!
Together with Rasmus and the wider Board, they will make sure WindEurope continues to speak with a strong, united voice for the European wind industry: across all countries and along the full value chain.
And they’ll also focus on delivering our priorities accelerating electrification, strengthening Europe’s energy security, and reinforcing the industrial footprint of wind energy across Europe. We here at the Secretariat are very much looking forward to working with them in the months ahead!
Finally, can I quickly remind you that our Annual General Assembly is coming up next week. Many thanks to those standing for election to the Management Committee! If you’re in Brussels that day, we’d be delighted if you could also join us for our Summer Reception at the Solvay Library that evening. It’ll be a nice chance to catch up together before the summer recess, and the weather forecast looks good. You can sign up here.
Kind regards,
Tinne Van der Straeten
Global Wind Day – 15 June
Global Wind Day is celebrated every year on 15 June. And this year, our theme was “Our wind, our community” – how wind energy makes a real difference to the places we call home. We’re collecting stories from communities all over Europe, who are proud of their turbines and the positive benefits they bring to their daily lives.
Discover more stories through our Our Wind, Our Community campaign.
WindEurope Intelligence Platform
Workforce Development Tool
As Europe scales up wind energy, one question keeps coming up: do we have the workforce to deliver it?
The Workforce Development Tool – going live on 24 June, helps you answer exactly that, with clear, data-driven insights on workforce needs across the sector.
Here’s what you can explore:
- Workforce size today and projections to 2030 across Europe;
- Breakdown by country, project phase, job family and specific roles;
- Identification of the most critical job gaps across the value chain; and
- Insights to support training strategies, investment decisions and policy planning.
With both European and national-level data, you can better understand where skills shortages are emerging and where action is needed most.
Members’ Successes
Shift to shopfloor metrology empowers offshore wind manufacturing (ARGON)
As offshore wind structures escalate in size and complexity, manufacturers face pressure to deliver (sub-)millimeter accuracy at industrial speeds. In response, Belgian offshore foundation specialist Smulders has partnered with ARGON Measuring Solutions to embed Shopfloor Measurement Solutions (SMS) directly into its transition piece production facility in Hoboken, Belgium. By integrating advanced automated metrology, Smulders has evolved measurement from an end-of-line verification step into a core production function that stabilises throughput, reduces non-quality costs, and lowers manufacturing risks.
Metrology as a production enabler
Modern offshore wind manufacturing requires unprecedented geometric control, with monopile diameters exceeding 10 metres and hub heights approaching 150 metres. Because manual measurement processes often introduce operator-dependent variability and increase the risk of costly rework, Smulders shifted toward a fully integrated, scalable metrology strategy.
Partnering with ARGON, they deployed a complete shopfloor system where laser trackers, robust software, and proprietary tooling are interconnected through intuitive, template-based workflows. Following the ‘Coffee Machine Principle,’ the advanced metrology system is designed to be exceptionally easy to use. Complex logic runs seamlessly in the background, ensuring consistent execution across shifts regardless of operator experience.
Streamlining validation and preventing errors
The implementation covers two specialized systems tailored to critical manufacturing stages:
- FLANGEscan: Exact flange alignment is crucial to avoid expensive offshore corrections. This non-contact measurement system captures vast data volumes for objective validation and full traceability. It replaces manual work at height, significantly reducing operator risk while improving measurement efficiency by 50%.
- WELDscan: Moving measurement directly into the assembly process, this system guides operators in verifying secondary welding elements via tablet based digital workflows. Deviations can be detected immediately after tack welding, accelerating efficiency up to 4-fold and shifting the paradigm from error detection to error prevention.
Ultimately, embedding measurement into active manufacturing stages shortens decision loops and drives a predictable, first-time-right production environment.
Youwind Expands from Offshore Wind Start-Up to Integrated Renewable Energy Consolidated Platform
Founded in 2018 by engineers Anna Rivera Jové and Edvald Edvaldsson, Youwind began with a clear mission: to simplify and accelerate the early-stage development of offshore wind projects through a cloud-based digital platform. What started as a specialised offshore wind solution has evolved into a comprehensive platform supporting the growing complexity of modern renewable energy projects. Today, Youwind enables the development of both onshore and offshore wind farms, as well as hybrid projects integrating BESS, all within a single collaborative environment.
This evolution was on full display at WindEurope 2026. After years exhibiting within the event’s start-up and innovation areas, Youwind returned as a consolidated renewable energy technology company with its own stand, showcasing how digitalisation is helping developers tackle the challenges of hybrid energy systems.
The most significant milestone in this journey has been the launch of Youwind’s new Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) module, which allows developers to design, analyse and optimise wind and storage projects within a single integrated environment.
As renewable energy penetration continues to grow worldwide, developers face increasing pressure to manage grid constraints, reduce curtailment and improve project flexibility. Storage has become a critical part of the solution, and hybrid wind-plus storage projects are rapidly becoming the new standard.
Recognising this shift, Youwind developed its BESS module to eliminate the fragmented workflows that traditionally require separate tools for wind and storage analysis. The platform enables users to evaluate technical performance, revenue optimisation and financial viability in one place, helping teams assess hybrid configurations 5 to 10 times faster than conventional desktop-based approaches.
The module supports both standalone storage applications and hybrid onshore and offshore wind projects, allowing developers to identify optimal locations, customise storage layouts and compare multiple project scenarios from the earliest stages of development.
“Hybridisation is no longer optional; it is becoming a fundamental part of project development,” says Anna Rivera, CEO of Youwind. “With the addition of BESS, we are helping developers move away from fragmented workflows and towards a more integrated, efficient and data-driven way of designing energy projects.”
This latest innovation reflects Youwind’s broader vision: providing a single cloud-based platform capable of supporting the entire renewable energy development process. A key step in that direction is the company’s recent collaboration with Shoreline Wind, a leading SaaS provider for construction and operational planning. Together, the two companies are helping bridge the gap between project development, execution and operations, enabling a smoother flow of data and decision-making across traditionally disconnected phases.
By combining Youwind’s strengths in early-stage development and hybrid project design with Shoreline Wind’s expertise in construction and operational management, developers can benefit from a more connected digital ecosystem, improving project visibility from concept to operation.
From its beginnings as an offshore wind start-up to its current role as an integrated renewable energy platform, Youwind continues to evolve alongside the energy transition, empowering developers to build smarter, faster and more resilient renewable energy projects.
Members’ Area
Introducing Wendy – Now available on the Members’ Area!
Looking for information on upcoming Working Group meetings? what EU funding is available? Or do you just need help finding your way around the Members’ Area?
Wendy is WindEurope’s handy website navigator – available 24/7 for any questions you might have. Click the blue box in the corner and start sending in your queries!
NOTE: All exchanges are completely anonymous and no data is collected.
WindEurope events
Technology Workshop 2026 – Proceedings now available
Many thanks to all of you who came to our Technology Workshop in Rotterdam last week – we hope to see you again next year!
A quick reminder that the conference proceedings from the Workshop – including session recordings and presentations – will be available soon for all members in the Members Area.
WindEnergy Hamburg – Register now
WindEnergy Hamburg, the world’s biggest wind industry gathering returns later this year, from 22-25 September. WindEurope will be present onsite as the event’s European Partner – with a dedicated stage and sessions during the conference.
Registrations are now open – you can buy your ticket below.
EoLIS 2026 – Save the date
EoLIS – WindEurope’s End-of-Life Issues and Strategies Seminar – is back this November.
Join 300+ operators & manufacturers, academics, sustainability experts and other industry professionals in Bilbao as we look at new solutions to Europe’s ageing turbine fleet – making our industry more circular in design. We hope you can join us!