4 June 2020
WindEnergy Hamburg Press Conference: Wind industry ready to deliver Europe’s green recovery
On 3 June, WindEurope participated in a press conference with co-organiser Hamburg Messe und Congress on the decision to postpone WindEnergy Hamburg until 1-4 December.
Originally, WindEnergy Hamburg was to take place from 22 to 25 September 2020. Hamburg Messe und Congress and WindEurope are planning to adapt the event concept in a roundtable with Health Authorities and Health & Safety Executives of selected exhibitors to guarantee a maximum of safety and success at the fair.
There has been great support from the industry for the decsion. “We have received a lot of positive feedback from our exhibitors, and our plans for the new date in December have received broad support,” said Bernd Aufderheide, Chief Executive Officer of Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH. “The new date offers the industry planning security. The vast majority of exhibitors and all equipment manufacturers will be there, and the number of cancellations remains low. We are naturally very pleased about this and see it as confirmation that we made the right decision.”
The EU’s Recovery Strategy, announced last week, adds a new dimension to the event. The further expansion of wind energy is set to be central to Europe’s economic recovery and to the EU Green Deal. “COVID-19 is a major blow to the EU’s domestic economy,” WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson said. “Last week, the EU Recovery Strategy explicitly mentioned wind energy and other renewable energy sources as part of the political foundation for reconstruction. And wind energy will deliver. It is cheap, reliable and already covers 15% of Europe’s electricity consumption. The EU wants to increase this to 50 percent by 2050. That means gigantic investments. It means that investment must be made now. That will bring jobs and the growth we need now. The EU is mobilising its entire financial arsenal to support green reconstruction – €1.85 trillion. WindEnergy Hamburg in December will show how wind energy can score here,” said Giles Dickson.
