CEO Foreword
Dear WindEurope Member,
We’ve just released the annual Wind Turbine Orders report for 2022. And it paints a worrying picture. Turbine orders fell 47% last year, totalling just 9 GW of new capacity in the EU. A combination of spiralling costs and unhelpful market interventions have made Europe less attractive for wind farm investments compared to the US, Australia and elsewhere. Our priorities are clear. Unless it creates a more attractive investment environment, Europe doesn’t stand much chance of reaching its long-term energy and climate targets. You can read more on this here.
In that sense some of the EU’s latest policy initiatives will be vital to reversing this trend. There’s been a burst of new policy announcements in the past few weeks. In Davos EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced plans for a Net Zero Industry Act – the widely anticipated reply to the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The details are yet to emerge, but there’s a focus on investment tax credits (as in the IRA) backed by more flexible rules on state aid. The Commission also want to use existing (unspent) EU funds to support clean energy supply chains.
It’s good the EU are emulating the American approach here. You don’t get successful clean energy industries without some degree of public financial support. Now the key is to get the detail right. First, the finance should target the biggest shortages and bottlenecks in our industry – including skills. Then it should use tools that’ll de-risk and leverage the private investment in manufacturing capacity that’s waiting to happen. And finally we need to avoid long-winded processes – the money has to get out the door as quickly as possible.
The EU is then preparing a separate Critical Raw Materials Act – more info here. The goal is to ramp up domestic production and processing capacity of key materials and to diversify their external sourcing away from China via new trade deals with e.g. Canada and Australia. The focus is lithium and rare earths. Permanent magnets will be part of it. We are urging the EU also to take action to reduce our dependency on Chinese glass fibre and other secondary materials.
In parallel the EU is also preparing a reform of electricity market design. The aim here is to enable electricity consumers to benefit from the low costs of renewable power. Unhelpful market interventions by Governments over the last year have reduced the confidence of those looking to invest in renewables. The EU has to restore trust in a functioning electricity market and create clear signals for investors.
We release our full wind energy statistics for 2022 at the end of February and our annual Finance and Investment Trends Report in March. We’ll be hosting webinars giving more insights on the data. More info on these in the events section below.
A quick mention too of our 2023 Annual Event. It’s in Copenhagen from 25-27 April. The exhibition floor is sold out with over 400 stands. It’ll be the biggest wind industry gathering in Europe this year, with 10,000+ people expected. IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol will be opening it with EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson. And Energy Ministers from Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, Sweden, Romania, Norway and Greece will all be there. Here is the programme. Click here to register – it’ll be great if you can come.
We now have a date and location for this year’s Technology Workshop. It’s in Lyon, from 1-2 June. And the call for abstracts to help shape the programme runs for another month – the deadline is 2 March. Click here for more info – we look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Giles Dickson
WindEurope Intelligence Platform
Our featured products this month
Wind Turbine Orders Monitoring – 2022
This report summarises the full announced wind turbine orders for last year (2022). It also provides a market analysis of the industry based on the number of orders, capacity ordered, sellers, buyers and other sectorial and technology indicators.
Wind Turbine Order Monitoring – Q4 2022
This report summarises the announced wind turbine orders in Q4 of 2022. It also provides a market analysis of the industry based on the number of orders, capacity ordered, sellers, buyers and other sectorial and technology indicators.
Staff Interviews
Welcome to our staff interview feature, where we profile some of the names and faces that keep WindEurope ticking!
In these features we showcase some of the staff here at the WindEurope office in Brussels – covering their role in the organisation, their areas of expertise and their expectations for the years ahead.
This month, we sat down with Mia Magazin (Director of Events and Sales) and Joana Bertrand (Head of Events Sales) from the Events & Sales Team to talk about the event experience at WindEurope. Plus what to expect at Copenhagen in April and at future WindEurope events!
Mia Magazin, Director of Events and Sales
What are the responsibilities of your role as part of the Events & Sales Team?
In my capacity as Director of Events & Sales I am in charge of the WindEurope events portfolio, driving the execution of the event strategy, from design and development to overseeing implementation on an operational level. An important aspect of this role is stakeholder engagement: developing and maintaining relationships with a wide range of clients and partners and service providers, all playing their part in delivering impactful events.
We have a great team of event professionals in-house, each with a distinct set of skills and expertise who take care of the business development side and the event production. Together we ensure that each event runs smoothly from start to finish.
How do you feel the WindEurope event experience has evolved over the past few years?
The events industry has seen many changes over time, especially in the last couple of years. Our events are no exception to this. WindEurope events are specific in the sense that they are all about building partnerships and because of that, they have become an impactful tool to drive change and create lasting legacies.
What are your plans for the years ahead? What can we expect from future WindEurope events?
We continue to adapt our events to the emergence of innovative technology and new ideas. Sustainability remains an integrated part of our event planning, and creativity and customisation continue to play a prominent role. It is all about people’s experience and impact.
WindEurope events will continue to be even more engaging and WindEurope’s Annual Event 2023 in Copenhagen and in Bilbao in 2024 will showcase that!
Joana Bertrand, Head of Events Sales
What are the responsibilities of your role as part of the Events & Sales Team?
As Head of Events Sales, I oversee our stand and sponsorship sales for our Annual Events, Technology Workshops and EoLIS events. I make sure that we provide all our exhibitors and sponsors with the best offers to reach their goals at our events: whether it’s brand visibility, thought leadership, or networking opportunities, we always find a solution to help our members deliver their message in the right way!
WindEurope’s Annual Event is just three months away – what’s been your experience in helping to shape these events over the years?
It has been a very exciting experience over the years! We’ve adapted our events calendar and worked on our strategy to position WindEurope’s Annual Event as the reference event for the wind industry in Europe. We’ve also expanded our exhibition and sponsorship offer over the years. For example, our exhibition floorplan grew by 1,000 m² this year to accommodate bigger stands, we have added new online sponsorships, and we have developed several content-oriented sponsorships to respond to our members’ requests.
What can members look forward to at the Annual Event in Copenhagen this year?
Three days of conference with over 50 sessions, two open stages on the exhibition floor, a start-up area, a sold-out exhibition of 10,200 m² and plenty of opportunities to network with your peers at one of our many receptions! For the first time, the exhibition has been sold-out 6 months before the event! The exhibition promises to be buzzing with new products and great meetings with 400+ exhibitors – including fresh voices of the start-up pavilion. You can already start planning your visit and map out the exhibitors you’d like to visit.
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!
Send us your success story
Events
WindEurope Annual Event 2023
When: 25-27 April
Where: Copenhagen
The pressure is on. The EU has issued its climate and energy targets for the years ahead. Policymakers across Europe know that renewables are key to energy security. Clean, home-grown energy is the name of the game. Everyone is crying out for more wind. But now we’ve got to put our plans in motion. It’s time to deliver. And Copenhagen is where it starts.
WindEurope’s Annual Event is heading to the Danish capital from 25-27 April. Our full conference programme is now live – you can read through it here. It’ll be an opportunity to talk frankly about the challenges we face. The supply chain, permitting, slow grid deployment, clashes with societal interests, and engaging the demand side. But it’s also a chance to look at our breakthroughs – the opportunities for wind, on and offshore, and other technologies too. And importantly a chance for you to hear from the biggest decision-makers and trailblazers, from policy, industry and beyond.
There’ll be plenty of action across the venue too. We’ll have dedicated stages looking at the latest start-ups, global markets and electrification. 400+ companies showcasing their brands – all keen to build their contact base and to meet new partners. Plus dedicated networking opportunities at the social and side events – with a wide-ranging turnout guaranteed.
Registration has opened, you can sign up here. We hope you’ll join us for this chance to get the ball rolling. We all have a role to play in getting wind on the path to success!
See you in April.
Register now
WindEurope Technology Workshop 2023
When: 1-2 June
Where: Lyon
Save the date! WindEurope’s Annual Technology Workshop is heading to the historic French city of Lyon, from 1-2 June. Here in this cultural and industrial powerhouse, we’ll be meeting to discuss the state of wind energy technology – the breakthroughs, the bottlenecks, and the outlook for the years ahead.
This year’s focus is on Resource Assessment and Analysis of Operating Wind Farms. With concerns about European energy security in the coming years, these will be key to boosting our yield and protecting livelihoods all over the continent.
While you’ll there, you’ll meet and hear from contacts old and new active across the wind tech scene. You can tune into the two-day conference as we look at a range of specialist tech topics – modelling, monitoring & control, wakes & blockages, environmental impacts, data science, AI and more. We’ll also have poster exhibits to better illustrate new research and to give the floor to tech trailblazers!
The event Call for Abstracts is still open – it runs until 2 March. It’s a unique opportunity to shape the scope of the conference and to put new ideas on the table. All you have to do is follow the steps here and submit your abstract in the next few weeks! We look forward to hearing from you!
Submit your abstract
Upcoming WindEurope Webinars
Wind energy in Europe: 2022 Statistics and the outlook for 2023-2027
When: 7 March, 15:00-16:00 CET
Join us for the Wind Energy in Europe: 2022 Statistics and the outlook for 2023-2027 webinar. WindEurope analysts will discuss the latest developments within the European wind industry, outlining key installations and trends across the various countries, how to reach the renewable energy targets, and the latest policy developments. This will be followed by a Q&A session for participants.
Register now
Offshore Wind in Europe 2022: Trends and statistics
When: 16 March, 15:00-16:00 CET
WindEurope analysts will discuss the latest developments within the European offshore wind industry, outlining key installations and trends in offshore wind farms, supply chain activity, investment trends, and the latest policy developments. This will be followed by a Q&A session for participants.
Register now
Wind Energy Financing and Investment Trends 2022
When: 5 April, 15:00-16:00 CEST
The webinar will involve a presentation of the trends and statistics in financing and investments in wind energy in Europe from our most recent report, including new asset financing, project acquisitions, green bonds, and PPAs. The webinar will also cover recent political developments affecting the financing and build-out of wind energy in the context of the EU’s revised greenhouse gas emission targets.
Register now
