WindEurope Bulletin
WindEurope Bulletin December 2024
4 December 2024
A word from the CEO
Dear WindEurope member,
The new EU Commission has just taken office for the next 5 years. Ursula von der Leyen carries on as President. Four other Commissioners who will be key for us are:
- Dan Jørgensen, Commissioner for Energy.
- Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition.
- Stéphane Séjourné, Commissioner for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy.
- Wopke Hoekstra, Commissioner for Climate, Net-Zero and Clean Growth.
Von der Leyen outlined her new agenda last week. Competitiveness will take centre-stage – drawing heavily on Mario Draghi’s recent report. Three main priorities:
- Closing the innovation gap with the US and China.
- A joint plan for decarbonisation of industry and industrial competitiveness.
- Boosting Europe’s security and reducing dependencies.
Von der Leyen has also doubled down on the EU’s existing climate and energy commitments – she’s said Europe will “stay the course on the goals of the European Green Deal”.
The new Commission will unveil its flagship Clean Industrial Deal in its first 100 days. We’re telling them it’s got to do three things:
- help industry electrify;
- scale up clean tech supply chains to meet what will hopefully be increased demand for electricity; and
- implement all the good new EU rules agreed in the last 5 years – particularly on permitting and grid expansion.
You’ll have seen both the German and French Governments have collapsed. In Germany the opposition CDU/CSU are likely to head the next Government after their election on 23 February. Don’t worry about their leader Friedrich Merz’s comments about wind being transitional technology until Germany is nuclear – and our turbines being “ugly”. He was playing to a gallery – far-right voters. His party’s programme is broadly in favour of continuing Germany’s strong buildout of wind and grids. As for France, all we know is they can’t have a new election until June, and that Government will be messy and unstable (at least) until then.
Finally a word on defence. You may have seen that Sweden has cancelled permits for 13 offshore wind farms – ostensibly on “security grounds”. This raised questions about the compatibility of offshore wind with military interests. We know from our working relationships with Governments and military authorities around Europe that in reality wind and military activity can happily coexist, and indeed benefit each other. And we work actively through our Aviation Task Force and our engagement with NATO and the European Defence Agency to ensure this is the case.
I close by wishing you all a happy Advent – and fun and joy in your preparations for Christmas.
Kind regards,
Giles Dickson
WindEurope Intelligence Platform
Wind Turbine Orders Monitoring – Q3 2024
This report summarises wind turbine orders that were placed between 1 July 2024 and 30 September 2024. WindEurope tracks announced wind turbine orders on the basis of publicly available information on commercial transactions and future deals, categorising them into firm orders and conditional orders.
The world of wind energy at your fingertips! Check out what these WindEurope members have to say about our Intelligence Platform!
Members’ Successes
Joint Success Story – VSB & Dentons
Dentons has advised PKO Bank Polski on a financing granted to VSB Polska, a subsidiary of the international VSB Group, for its investment in the 41.6 MW Racibórz onshore wind park. Located in Silesia, in the south of Poland, the project comprises 13 wind turbines. Construction began in June 2023, and the turbines were installed in October 2024. The first electricity supply from the Racibórz wind farm is expected in the first quarter of 2025.
This project follows a similar transaction from 2021, in which Dentons advised PKO Bank Polski on the financing granted to VSB Group for the construction of the Baranów–Rychtal wind farm, with a total capacity of 42.6 MW.
Dentons’ legal advice on the Racibórz wind farm project involved comprehensive support to the lender in preparing and negotiating the finance and hedging documents, facilitating the first loan disbursement as well as carrying out the legal due diligence. The transaction documents were governed by Polish and German law.
Partner Tomasz Zwoliński led the cross-border project, supported by associates Justyna Machnicka and Aleksandra Czyż from the Banking and Finance team in Warsaw. Christian Schnell, partner and Co-Head of the Europe Energy Sector Group, supervised the project-related aspects of the transaction, supported by counsel Joanna Świostek and senior associates Hanna Szymańska, Grzegorz Cieśniarski and Jerzy Oppeln-Bronikowski. The team also included partners Axel Schlieter and Arne Kluewer as well as associate Paul Sieminski from the Banking and Finance team in Germany.
PKO Bank Polski is the largest bank in Poland; the value of its assets reached PLN 507 billion at the end of the first half of 2024. The net profit of the PKO Bank Polski Group amounted to PLN 4.4 billion and the number of customers exceeded 12 million.
VSB, headquartered in Dresden, is one of Europe’s leading vertically integrated renewable energy developers. Its core business is the project development of onshore wind and photovoltaic parks, their operational management, and the operation of its parks as a growing independent power producer. Since establishing its presence in Poland in 2007, VSB has commissioned approximately 118 MW of installations to date and has gained experience operating installations with a capacity exceeding 350 MW across the country.
“Strong partnerships are essential for the successful expansion of renewable energies. We are proud to have PKO Bank Polski as a reliable partner by our side, sharing our commitment to a sustainable energy future,” emphasises Dr Felix Grolman, CEO of VSB Group.
“We would like to thank VSB Group for their trust and the possibility of financial support for projects such as wind farms, which are an important part of the transformation and the increase in the share of renewable energy in the national energy mix. We want to be a leader in financing the green transformation, which is why we consistently engage in various types of investments that support environmental protection and emission neutrality. This is a significant pillar of our strategy, on which we place great emphasis,” adds Adam Kosmala, Director of the Structured Finance Office at PKO Bank Polski.
“We are pleased to have been given the trust and opportunity to collaborate with entities with extensive experience in the development and financing of renewable energy sources. Energy transformation will play a key role in the Polish economy in the coming decades, and cooperation between investors, financing institutions and advisors is essential for the success of this process. This is one of the key areas of our advisory services,” emphasises Tomasz Zwolinski, Partner at Dentons.
More about Dentons More about VSB Group
Peikko
With Peikko’s 60th anniversary approaching in 2025, the company has been a key player in developing Norway’s wind energy infrastructure. Peikko has contributed to numerous wind farms across the country, including the Fosen project, Europe’s second-largest wind farm. These projects often present significant challenges due to Norway’s unique rocky landscape and harsh weather conditions, which require robust and durable solutions.
The Sørfjord wind farm, located north of the Arctic Circle in Hamarøy, exemplifies Peikko’s ability to overcome these challenges. This remote project is situated on a mountain plateau and demanded strong engineering and construction techniques. Owned by Fortum, with joint ownership by Energy Infrastructure Partners (EIP), and featuring Siemens Gamesa turbines, Sørfjord relies on Peikko’s Rock Adapter foundation for long-term stability and performance.
Fortum’s Director, Construction & Operations, Wind & Solar, Jeff Lindh, states “I wanted to take a moment to highlight the successful collaboration between Fortum, via Sörfjord Vindpark AS, and Peikko on the Sörfjord wind farm project in northern Norway.
Back in 2018, Sörfjord Vindpark AS engaged Peikko to handle the foundation design and structural calculations, as well as the delivery of all steel components for the project. Given the unique and demanding nature of the Sörfjord windfarm, high quality was of utmost importance, and Peikko was selected as the supplier for these critical components. Peikko’s contribution included the timely delivery and high quality of all the steel components such as FATBAR® Rock Anchors, tower adapter plates, drilling templates, and foundation reinforcement. This commitment to excellence was greatly appreciated by Sörfjord Vindpark AS/Fortum”.
The New White Paper for Rock Anchored Foundations
Peikko’s success in the Norwegian market is intrinsically linked to its Rock Adapter and FATBAR® system designed for heavy dynamic loads. This foundation solution, developed over the years with R&D collaboration with the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) and other expert bodies, provides a secure and efficient method for anchoring wind turbines in rock conditions. With over 800 foundations and 40,000 FATBAR® rock anchors delivered to projects across the Nordics, Peikko has a proven solution.
In 2025, Peikko celebrates 60 years of industry-leading innovation. Building on a decade of experience with rock soil conditions and Peikko FATBAR® Post-tensioned anchors, Peikko, in collaboration with Sweco Finland and Rock Mechanics Consulting Finland, has released a new white paper to provide designers with valuable insights for optimising rock-anchored foundation designs. This white paper examines the inefficiencies in current designs and presents Peikko FATBAR® anchors as an efficient and cost-effective solution. By incorporating advanced numerical modelling and emphasising interdisciplinary collaboration, the white paper offers a pathway to more accurate assessments of rock mass strength and optimised foundation designs.
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:
Equans
This month we sat down with Pascal Grosjean, General Manager Offshore Business Unit & EXCOM Member at Equans, to look at their expertise in delivering high-voltage substations, the need for a balanced approach to risk-sharing in the industry, and the potential for new robotic solutions to strengthen operations.
Offshore Wind Ports Platform
Introducing Erik Bertholet: The New Chair of WindEurope’s Offshore Wind Ports Platform
We are pleased to announce that Erik Bertholet has been appointed as the new chair of the Offshore Wind Ports Platform. Erik, Business Manager Logistics and Offshore Wind at Groningen Seaports, brings a wealth of experience and a forward-thinking vision to this pivotal role.
Groningen Seaports has been a key player in the offshore wind industry, particularly through its Port of Eemshaven. This port has been instrumental in the construction of 22 major North Sea projects such as Hornsea 2, Hollandse Kust Noord, Gode Wind 3, and Borkum Riffgrund 3. Erik’s experience at Groningen Seaports has been marked by significant developments, including the recent arrival of the first foundations for RWE’s Danish offshore wind farm, Thor.
As the new chair of the Ports Platform, Erik is set to lead the collaborative efforts of European ports in supporting the offshore wind industry. The Ports Platform serves as a forum for ports to share best practice and know-how, and to jointly address the opportunities and challenges posed by the growing offshore wind sector. Erik’s vision for the Ports Platform includes strengthening cross-border cooperation among ports at both operational and practical levels. This collaboration is essential to meet Europe’s ambitious offshore wind deployment targets – to install almost 90 GW in the EU by 2030. Additionally, Erik seeks to channel available CEF-T funding more effectively toward port development, ensuring that critical infrastructure is in place to support this industry’s growth.
We look forward to the innovative contributions and leadership that Erik will bring to the Ports Platform. His expertise and commitment to the offshore wind industry will undoubtedly drive the platform’s success and support the broader goals of the renewable energy sector.
Windflix
Giles & Pierre: Curtains up on the new Commission!
The new European Commission took office last Sunday 1 December. They’ve unveiled their agenda for the next five years – with a big focus on competitiveness.
Giles & Pierre discuss what this means for wind in this 5-minute video – and touch also on developments in Germany, France and Sweden.
Events
WindEurope Technology Workshop 2025 – Call for abstracts open!
WindEurope’s Technology Workshop is back on 19-20 June next year! And for this edition we’ll be heading to one of the world’s oldest and most iconic cities – Istanbul!
At this year’s workshop, we’ll be looking at ways to boost our turbine yield and tackle future challenges. 400+ wind energy experts will be there to talk resource assessment, analysis of wind farm operations, AI and more.
In the meantime, we’ve launched a call for abstracts to set the scope of the workshop programme – and to put burning items on the agenda. Here’s a list of suggested topics – under the headings of Resource Assessment and Analysis of Operating Wind Farms. Remember to read through the guidelines, and click here to submit your abstracts – by 24 January at the latest! Early submissions are encouraged.
WindEurope Annual Event 2025 – See you in April!
The European wind industry is heading back to Copenhagen – the home of wind – from 8-10 April. As we approach the midpoint of the 2020s, it’s time to take stock of how our industry is doing – and what new challenges we face as help Europe to power up!
We’d like to introduce our four event ambassadors – Equinor, GE Vernova, Ørsted and Vestas! And to thank them for their time and dedication in making this event a reality!
Later this month we’ll be announcing our full three-day conference programme – with over 70+ sessions on all the major issues in wind energy today. You’ll also get a preview of some of the 350+ top speakers joining us this April as well – representatives from Governments, industry, academia, financial institutions, NGOs and others.
Stay tuned in the New Year – we’ll be opening registrations in January! So make sure to book your spot early and we’ll see you and the rest of the industry in Copenhagen this April!
WindEurope Annual Event 2026 – Date and location confirmed!
WindEurope’s Annual Event 2026 will take place at IFEMA Madrid – a state-of-the-art venue with 43,000 m2 of gross exhibition space. Here is the current timetable in the run-up to the event:
- February 2025: Exhibition sales open.
- June 2025: Call for abstracts opens.
- December 2025: Programme goes live + registration opens.
For any queries about sponsorship at the event, please get in touch with our team.
Why come to WindEurope’s Annual Event?
- Join us at 70+ conference sessions looking at the big topics in wind energy today.
- Learn from 350+ top speakers in industry, Governments, NGOs, finance and beyond.
- Come and meet 500+ companies setting up their stalls across the exhibition, showcasing their activities and looking to do business.
- Come and network at dozens of social and side events – plenty of opportunities to catch-up or meet new contacts.
This is an event by the industry, for the industry, and we’re delighted to be back in Spain for another comprehensive European wind energy gathering! See you in 2026!
