WindEurope Bulletin
WindEurope Bulletin December 2021
7 December 2021
CEO Foreword
Dear WindEurope Member,
Many thanks to all of you who came to the Annual WindEurope Event in Copenhagen 2 weeks ago, “Electric City”. Over 8,000 people were there, with 400 exhibitors in the halls. It was great to be able to get together after nearly two years of not having large events. And it was marvellous to meet so many of you again in person. We hope you enjoyed it. Here are some photos from the event.
It was good that so many Ministers from different countries took part in the event – 11 in total. And they did some important business there. The Danish and Belgian Energy Ministers signed an agreement to build an interconnector between their respective new energy islands. The Danish TSO Energinet also signed an agreement with the German TSO 50Hertz to connect the Danish island of Bornholm to the German grid.
The central message of the event was that electrification is the cheapest and cleanest way to decarbonise our energy system. Most processes that today rely on fossil fuels can transition to renewable electricity using existing technologies. Wind energy will play a central role in this. And that was the focus of Electric City – how wind can help electrify transport, heating and industry.
But now with Copenhagen behind us, we can start looking ahead to the New Year, and our next key industry gathering…
The 2022 WindEurope Annual Event is not far off. It’s on 5-7 April in Bilbao. You can expect the whole industry to be there again. Siemens Gamesa, Iberdrola, Repsol and Green Investment Group are the Event Ambassadors. They’re helping us put together a great event for the industry, full of new content, ideas and announcements to move wind energy forward.
It’ll be great to be in Spain again. It’s one of the top markets for onshore wind in Europe. And it’s now embracing offshore wind with the Government targeting up to 3 GW of floating wind by 2030.
And April will be a key moment. The new German Government will be hitting their stride with their ambitious plans for renewables. The UK will have had their giant 14 GW CfD auction. The French elections will be just around the corner. The EU’s new “Fit for 55” legislation will be taking its final shape. And the EU Commission will be preparing its new guidance on the simplification of permitting which it’ll issue to national Governments next summer.
The venue will be the Bilbao Exhibition Centre that hosted our 2019 event. We can count on the great hospitality of our Basque partners and AEE, the Spanish Wind Energy Association. Our team can help you book a stand. The floorplan as it currently stands, with over half the exhibition space sold, is here. We’re finalising the conference programme – thank you for the abstracts many of you submitted. And we’ll be providing space for start-ups again – let our events team know if you want to come and pitch your technology.
Hopefully there’ll be some early spring sunshine. There’ll certainly be lots of good food and wine. And more of the great business and networking opportunities that we enjoyed in Copenhagen. We look forward to seeing you there.
A few more things to keep an eye out for before the year’s end. ETIPWind will be hosting a webinar this Thursday 9 December, launching a new factsheet on “Electricity grids for a climate-neutral Europe”. You’ll have a chance to hear the views of wind industry representatives, TSOs, regulators, and public authorities. We’ll be looking at grid efficiency, system flexibility, grid development, and renewables-based electrification – plus the challenges related to all of these. Click here to register.
With that I would like to thank you all again for your support, engagement and outreach during 2021. We’ve finally had a chance to reconnect in person this year – let’s hope there will be many more opportunities to come in 2022.
Kind regards,
Giles Dickson
Wind Intelligence Platform
What we are reading
Design and operation of energy systems with large amounts of variable generation: Final summary report, IEA Wind TCP Task 25
This report summarises findings on wind integration from the 17 countries or sponsors participating in the International Energy Agency Wind Technology Collaboration Programme (IEA Wind TCP) Task 25 from 2006–2020.
The national case studies address several impacts of wind power on electric power systems. In this report, they are grouped under long-term planning issues and short-term operational impacts. Long-term planning issues include grid planning and capacity adequacy. Short-term operational impacts include reliability, stability, reserves, and maximising the value of wind in operational timescales (balancing related issues).
Members’ interview: EnergyVue
This month we sat down with Gary Hickin, EnergyVue CEO, to discuss their role as a provider of digital solutions and the potential of high-frequency, standardised data for wind farm asset performance.
Events
WindEurope Annual Event – Bilbao 2022
We were delighted to see you all in Copenhagen. We won’t have long to wait for our next industry gathering – see you in Bilbao in April 2022!
Spain is a vital, dynamic market for wind energy. It employs over 30,000 people across the country. It’s a major hub for onshore wind, with a total installed capacity of 27 GW. And the Spanish Government are looking at offshore wind too – they want to install 3 GW of floating wind alone by 2030.
Bilbao and the Basque Country are key centres for wind in their own right. They’re home to Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy and Iberdrola among others. And as an industrial powerhouse providing employment and economic value to the region, it’s an example of what we as an industry do best and what we’re capable of.
From 5-7 April next year we’ll be bringing the entire European wind sector together under one roof for a full Conference and Exhibition. We’ll be showcasing the cutting-edge in both onshore and offshore wind, laying the groundwork for the years ahead – becoming the largest electricity source by the end of the decade, and going to 1,350 GW by 2050!
This will be the definitive wind energy event of 2022. And with an exciting, welcoming venue, there is a lot to look forward to.
Our floorplan is here – half of the exhibition is already booked! This is your chance to get in early and put yourself right at the heart of the action, with crucial visibility for your brand and your products. Get in touch with our team to secure your spot!
In the meantime – make sure to save the date, there’ll be a lot more info to come in the New Year. And we don’t have long to wait either! See you in Bilbao in April!
WindEnergy Hamburg 2022
WindEurope will be the European Partner at WindEnergy Hamburg 2022 taking place on 27-30 September. Registration for exhibitors is already open. Check out the application page for a full breakdown of prices and deals.
More information to come in the New Year – keep an eye out!
ETIPWind Webinar – Electricity Grids for a climate-neutral Europe (9 December)
Europe’s electricity grids are the backbone of its energy system, and will continue to be well into the future. They are the platform to build on for cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and delivering climate neutrality in 2050.
Within the next three decades the energy system will undergo a radical transformation. Electricity grids at all voltage levels will need to change fundamentally to allow for ambitious electrification of industry, building and transport. This requires more investment in research & innovation, grid optimisation and grid expansion. Grid investment will need to double from the current €40bn a year by 2025 at the latest.
To help deliver on the EU’s ambitious climate and energy targets, the European Technology and Innovation Platform on Wind Energy (ETIPWind) has brought energy experts together to look at the key building blocks and technology solutions enabling grids to be fit for a renewables-based energy system. The outcome will be available as part of the latest ETIPWind factsheet on ‘Electricity grids for a climate-neutral Europe’.
During the webinar experts will discuss opportunities and challenges related to:
- Grid efficiency;
- System flexibility;
- Grid development; and
- Renewables-based electrification.
For this workshop we will use GotoWebinar. Be sure to register on time so you don’t miss out on the discussion!
Other news
Windflix
Windflix is our easy-to-access video content and streaming service. We saw plenty of new uploads in November with a lot of focus on the different players across the wind industry supply chain.
The latest releases include:
- Content from the Renewable Hydrogen Coalition, including all sessions from the Renewable Hydrogen Summit, held on 29 September. Also includes a number of other webinars held throughout the year, looking at unlocking the potential of renewable hydrogen.
- New additions to the Wind Where You Are series – including interviews with DTU on the future of wind farms, and a visit to NLMK DanSteel‘s facilities to discuss the issues facing the wind energy supply chain.
- A look at WindEurope’s market intelligence products, including our report on National Policy & Regulatory Developments and our OEM Market Share Tool.
- An interview with Diederik Samsom, Head of Cabinet for Frans Timmermans at the European Commission, ahead of RE-Source 2021.
More to come in the New Year. Just keep an eye out for notifications – and click play once you’re set up!
