Wind energy breaking new ground

Everywhere we look – geographically, politically, technologically and financially – wind energy is breaking new ground.

Wind energy continues to expand all over the world. It’s at the heart of government thinking on the energy transition. The technology continues to evolve and the costs continue to fall. And crucially it’s now moving beyond the power sector, and we’re beginning to think how wind can help decarbonise heating, transport and industrial processes.

That’s why the upcoming Global Wind Summit will take place under the slogan ‘Breaking new ground.’ The world’s largest wind energy gathering, the Global Wind Summit, comprises two parallel events: WindEnergy Hamburg’s global on- and offshore Expo and the WindEurope 2018 global on- and offshore Conference. The Expo will feature 1,400 exhibitors, with over 35,000 visitors from over 100 countries attending. The WindEurope 2018 Conference will showcase over 500 speakers and presenters and will be a unique opportunity to exchange with captains of industry, leading policymakers and wind energy experts and to get the full low-down on every aspect of wind and how it’s transforming the global energy mix.

The WindEurope 2018 Conference will explore how wind energy is set to continue breaking new ground from four different angles:

Day One will tackle electrification and sector-coupling. Renewables are now 30% of Europe’s power but are only 18% of heating and 6% of transport. Electrifying heating and transport is key to decarbonising Europe’s economy.

Day Two will explore digitalisation and other technology developments in wind. Digitalisation is opening new ways to design, build, operate and maintain wind farms. It’s reducing operating costs and increasingly contributing to system integration.

Day Three will focus on finance and the implications of an increasingly merchant environment. We’ll explore developments in auctions, the role of corporate PPAs and consider what new financing instruments, market design and policy frameworks we need. Finally Day Four will look at new and emerging markets and the long-term outlook. New markets geographically and technologically including floating offshore wind – and the issues of around repowering and lifetime extension. We’ll also look at how we can further enhance the social acceptance of wind energy.

Three Global Ambassadors are the face and vision of the Global Wind Summit 2018: Anja-Isabel Dotzenrath, CEO of E.ON Climate & Renewables; Hans-Dieter Kettwig, Managing Director of Enercon; and Philippe Kavafyan, CEO of MHI Vestas. Working closely with WindEurope and WindEnergy Hamburg, they bring a range of expertise and experience to the table and have helped set the agenda for September’s conference and expo.

Speaking about the event, Anja-Isabel Dotzenrath, Chief Executive Officer, E.ON Climate & Renewables said: “Decarbonising the world’s energy mix means fully exploiting the potential of renewables in the power, transport and building sectors. The Global Wind Summit is where we can set the agenda for sector-coupling and electrification to plan for a cleaner, greener world”.

Hans-Dieter Kettwig, Managing Director, Enercon said: “The wind industry is breaking new ground in every respect today: geographically and economically, technologically and even politically. The Global Wind Summit is where all stakeholders will gather around a unified vision for the industry, worldwide, to ensure we continue breaking new ground in the future”.

Philippe Kavafyan, Chief Executive Officer, MHI Vestas said: “Recent years have seen rapid evolution in the wind industry. The Global Wind Summit is about harnessing all that innovation and creating new potential for wind, worldwide. Electrification and sector-coupling are two major tools for unleashing the full potential of wind energy – onshore and offshore – and I look forward to discussing this in Hamburg in September”.