WindEurope Bulletin
WindEurope Bulletin February 2024
12 February 2024
A word from the CEO
Dear WindEurope member,
In five weeks’ time the European wind industry will be heading to Bilbao for WindEurope’s Annual Event 2024. From Wednesday 20 to Friday 22 March, 12,000+ people will be joining us in the Bilbao Exhibition Centre for a three-day conference and exhibition.
The event takes place just three months before the next European elections. And it’s a chance for us to profile wind as part of the solution to the challenges facing Europe. The theme for Bilbao is “Our wind, our value – creating value for Europe, living up to Europe’s values”. You’ll remember that Commission President von der Leyen has already dubbed wind energy a “European success story”. This event is a unique opportunity to see what wind represents for Europeans – as a mass employer, a source of growth, a driver of decarbonisation and autonomy. And that at the same time the European wind industry operates in harmony with nature, makes sustainable products and operates projects with high degrees of cybersecurity. In other words, we create value for Europe while living up to Europe’s values.
This is very much in the spirit of the Wind Power Package and the ensuing European Wind Charter – signed by 26 National Governments last December. In parallel, the EU has now agreed its Net-Zero Industry Act. It enshrines in legislation the principle that wind auctions should not be based on price only. That instead, they should reward projects that create the most value for society, by setting pre-qualification criteria like cybersecurity and non-price award criteria like energy system integration. The EU wants to do this gradually for all renewables. But for wind these non-price criteria are already set out in the Wind Power Package – we are ready to meet them now. See our statement on the Net-Zero Industry Act here.
We’ll be looking at all this in more detail next month in Bilbao – and what it means for our industry. You’ll hear from 250+ thought leaders in 40+ conference sessions – EU Commissioners, Government Ministers, industry CEOs, financiers, academics, NGO and community representatives. We’ll also have 500+ exhibitors, all keen to showcase their knowhow and technology, and to meet new business partners. We’ll have a Markets Theatre and a Powering the Future Stage looking at electrification, hydrogen and what’s happening on the demand side. And plenty of networking at dozens of social and side events – onsite and across Bilbao.
We hope you’ll be able to join us click here to register.
In the lead-up to Bilbao, WindEurope will be issuing a new joint report with Rystad Energy – looking at wind energy’s value creation in Europe. We’ve organised a webinar on 5 March presenting the report – and giving you a preview ahead of the Annual Event. You can register here
As we prepare for next month, it’s fair to say that things are looking up for wind across Europe. After several years where the industry faced supply chain disruptions, rising costs and slow permitting, the European wind supply chain is starting to roar again. And we saw a big milestone last week in Poland – with the foundation stone ceremony for Vestas’ new nacelle and hub assembly plant in Szczecin. When the plant opens in 2026, it’ll bring 700 direct jobs to the city. Windar Renovables has signed an agreement with the Port Authority for an offshore tower factory as well. Both of these will fast-track Poland and Europe’s offshore wind buildout in the years ahead. Also three new foundation manufacturing facilities for offshore turbines are being built by Sif in Rotterdam, Baltic Structures in Esbjerg and by SEaH in the UK. Once more of these facilities start coming online – and we have the right supporting infrastructure – we’ll be better positioned to deliver an energy transition “made in Europe.”
These developments are very encouraging. And give us more to look forward to as the Wind Power Package starts being implemented. I look forward to discussing all this and much more with you at our Annual Event next month – we’ll see you in Bilbao!
Kind regards,
Giles Dickson
WindEurope Intelligence Platform
Wind Energy Permitting Insights
The Renewable Energy Directive (RED) was revised in 2023 and will help speed up permitting for new and repowered wind projects, by setting clear permitting timelines and establishing the principle of overriding public interest among others. Additionally, there are other factors in national legislation that influence how difficult it is to get a permit for new projects such as distance and environmental limitations.
WindEurope’s Wind Energy Permitting Insights tool tracks the implementation of the principles from the RED and other relevant national permitting regulations. This enables a comparison of the situations in different markets and highlights areas that the Member States still need to improve. The tool is updated every six months.
Members Successes
ECOncrete: Structural Reliability And Marine Biodiversity At Scale
ECOncrete offers nature-inclusive alternatives to traditional cable and scour protection for offshore wind and subsea cable & interconnect projects. Three recent milestones have shown that leveraging necessary project infrastructures is key to creating biodiversity enhancement at scale:
- As part of a subsea interconnection project for Red Electrica, ECOncrete developed a cable protection system that allowed a natural reef habitat of community interest to be restored. 10 months after installation, the cable protection structure mimics the local marine environment and is virtually undetectable. Algae and sponge species have colonised the structure, attracting fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and echinoderms. The cable protection used in Spain is based on ECOncrete technology and the design of proven nature-inclusive marine mattresses.
- ECOncrete’s concrete marine mattresses were given the green light in an ecologically sensitive area for Vineyard Wind 1, the first commercial-scale offshore wind energy initiative in the United States. In this project as well, the ECOncrete solution proved its capacity to address engineering requirements for cable protection as well as the ecological requirements to enhance marine biodiversity.
- As part of a large-scale offshore pilot project in the US, ECOncrete has recently secured a research grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to holistically evaluate the environmental impact of its scour protection solution, compared with standard scour protection materials. The pilot biological monitoring programme is using a high-end methodology to understand the effect on the ecosystem from gene level to food web modelling.
Founded in 2012, ECOncrete is a multidisciplinary, science-based company where biologists, engineers, and designers work closely together to develop NID solutions to bring marine biodiversity to ports, shorelines, and offshore infrastructure. ECOncrete solutions have been implemented in more than 50 projects globally, including ports, piers, breakwaters, subsea, and other load-bearing infrastructures.
As highlighted by Yaeli Rosenberg, Head of Biology at ECOncrete, who will be presenting at WindEurope’s Annual Event 2024: “We aim to optimise the design of marine infrastructure by changing the chemical composition of concrete to reduce the negative effect on larvae settlement. We also increase the surface complexity to support the attachment of different organisms to the structure and create adequate habitats to cover the entire life-cycle needs of multiple organisms, both sessile that attach to the structure like corals or barnacles, but also motile organisms that utilise the infrastructure like fish and crabs”.
The team at ECOncrete is committed to continue harnessing scientific knowledge and operational expertise for the construction of nature-inclusive offshore wind farm and subsea infrastructure. Marine biodiversity is becoming a priority globally, and ECOncrete sees a clear market demand and need for nature-inclusive engineering to be considered early in the design phase of projects.
Second offshore wind farm tender in Lithuania launched – Klaipeda Port designing offshore wind installation quays
The National Energy Regulatory Council (NERC) has launched the second tender for the selection of a developer for a 700 MW offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea in Lithuania. Tenderers will have to submit their applications and documents to the NERC by 14 April. Meanwhile, rapid preparatory work is ongoing in the Port of Klaipėda where the offshore wind installation terminal is being built to accommodate the development of the two Lithuanian wind farms, as well as other projects in the Baltic Sea.
Under the terms of the second offshore wind farm tendering procedure, the developer can offer to develop the farm with or without state support, as well as to compete for the amount of support requested: for all or part of the electricity produced. The European Commission has approved a scheme for possible state support of up to €193m. The NERC has already set a maximum and minimum price at which the developer would commit to selling the electricity generated on the market.
The successful tenderer will be required to contribute at least €5m to the environmental protection of the Lithuanian maritime area. Once the offshore wind farm is built, the developer will need to make an annual contribution (€1 per 1 MWh of electricity generated) to communities bordering the farm. Preliminary estimates suggest that this could amount to around €3m per year.
The area of the Baltic Sea designated for the farm is about 136 km2, and around 30 km from the coast.
The Ministry of Energy has organised preparatory works for the second offshore wind farm tender. They have already approved a plan for the offshore area to develop renewable energy facilities. Meanwhile a development plan to connect the wind farms to the onshore grid is being prepared, an environmental impact assessment report for the offshore wind farm has been approved, sea bottom geophysical and geotechnical surveys have been carried out in the offshore area for the development of the wind farm, and the wind speeds and other hydrometeorological parameters have been measured.
To reduce Lithuania’s dependence on electricity imports and to achieve full self-sufficiency in domestic renewable electricity by 2030, the Ministry of Energy is planning two offshore wind farms with a combined capacity of 1.4 GW in Lithuania’s Baltic Sea territory. These farms could generate around 6 TWh of green electricity per year, which is around half of Lithuania’s current electricity demand.
To accommodate the growing demand for wind turbine pre-assembly, loading, and wind farm servicing, the Port of Klaipėda is building the necessary infrastructure.
In May 2022, an investment agreement was signed between the Klaipėda State Seaport Authority and Klaipėda Stevedoring Company KLASCO to develop the port infrastructure required for the planned development of offshore wind.
The quays of the Smeltė peninsula will be rebuilt and adapted for handling, assembling, and storing wind turbines. The planned area for the installation infrastructure is 21 ha. The length of the newly reconstructed quays is approximately 346 m (in a continuous line). The depth near the quays will be 12 m.
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!
Events
WindEurope Annual Event 2024
The clock is ticking! WindEurope’s Annual Event is just six weeks away now – and preparations are coming together. 12,000+ people will be joining us from Wednesday to Friday, 20-22 March at the Bilbao Exhibition Centre for in-depth conference sessions, to tour the exhibition, and to network with their colleagues from the day well into the evening.
Haven’t decided whether to come or not? Here are a few things that might sway your opinion:
- In 40+ conference sessions over three days you’ll have the chance to drop in and listen to all the burning debates in our industry today. And there’ll be top speakers – EU Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, 6 Government Ministers, industry CEOs, and representatives from finance, academia, local communities and NGOs.
- Across the buzzing exhibition space, 500+ companies will be represented – from right across the value chain and every corner of Europe and beyond. It’s a chance to see the industry under one roof – and to hammer out new deals for you and your business.
- There’ll be dozens of social and side events to choose from. From specialised seminars, to stand receptions to fine dining across the city. All in the company of your industry peers – with good food and drink guaranteed.
We hope you’ll be able to join us next month. Our industry works best when everyone’s input is shared – and this is a chance to come and make yourself heard! You can register here – we’ll see you soon!
WindEnergy Hamburg 2024
WindEnergy Hamburg, the world’s biggest wind industry gathering returns later this year, from 24-27 September. WindEurope will be present onsite as the event’s European Partner – with a dedicated stage and sessions during the conference.
Registrations will open soon but you can still book your stand.
RE-Source 2024: Save the Date
The 2024 RE-Source Event will take place later this year from 24-25 October in Amsterdam. Since our first event in 2017, RE-Source has become a key annual gathering in the renewables calendar. It is the ideal place to meet renewable corporate buyers and sellers.
What can you look forward to at RE-Source 2024?
- A chance to network with 1,500+ participants.
- Learn from and engage with 100+ senior political and industry speakers.
- Join one of the 350+ prescheduled B2B meetings between clean energy buyers and suppliers.
- Connect with 350+ corporate clean energy buyers.
Stay tuned for more details over the next few months!
WindEurope Careers
WindEurope is a dynamic team of professionals – passionate about our work and strongly committed to the values of our organisation. We work at the cutting edge of wind energy policy: what we do here positively affects Europe and the wider world as well.
Become a part of our team and see how you can help shape the future of wind energy in Europe! Check out some testimonials from our team on our careers page – plus a full list of WindEurope benefits. And see our current job openings below:
