WindEurope Bulletin
WindEurope Bulletin January 2022
18 January 2022
CEO Foreword
Dear WindEurope Member,
I hope you’ve had a good start to the year. I wish you all the best for the months ahead.
You may have seen the message our Chairman Andreas Nauen sent last week with the WindEurope Work Programme for 2022 – setting out our ‘must-wins’ for the year. The stand-out priorities are:
the simplification of permitting rules and procedures;
- grid expansion;
- electrification; and
- Government action to support the competitiveness of the European wind energy supply chain.
You can read the full Work Programme here.
Energy prices may fall slightly this year but are likely to remain much higher this year than they were for most of the last decade. This means energy will remain a top political issue. Most Governments have handled the high prices in the right way by lowering taxes on electricity to protect vulnerable households and small businesses. And most have recognised that the high gas prices (which are the root of the problem) make it even more important that Europe accelerates the build-out of renewables. But high energy prices make politicians more sensitive about the cost impact of the energy transition on consumers. It will be all the more important to show that wind helps bring down energy bills – and brings wider economic benefits to communities.
The EU are doing and saying the right things on all these issues. And the EU Commission will give us an important helping hand this year when they issue guidance to Governments on how to simplify their permitting procedures for renewables.
Even more encouragingly, the new German Government is planning great things for wind:
- they want to build up to 10 GW a year of new onshore between now and 2030 (Europe as a whole installed 12 GW onshore wind in 2020) – and to set aside 2% of Germany’s land area for wind energy;
- they’ve increased the 2030 offshore wind target from 20 GW to 30 GW; and
- they want to radically streamline permitting procedures and strike a new balance between onshore wind and species protection.
Read our analysis of the German Government’s plans here.
In the Netherlands it’s a similar story. A new four-party Government is prioritising climate action and renewables. They want to raise their 2030 target from 11.5 to 22 GW (from 2.9 GW installed today).
The big political event of the year for us will be the French elections. Wind power has been a polarising issue in France recently, so the outcome will be key. Elsewhere, we’ll be continuing to lean on the Polish Government to soften the 10h distance rule – and we remain optimistic this will happen. And we’ll be working with the national Associations to coordinate our efforts on this.
Right before Christmas the EU published its new State Aid Guidelines for Energy. These Guidelines are the rules on what national Governments can and cannot do when it comes to supporting wind energy. The new Guidelines are helpful to us: Governments can continue to hold technology-specific auctions and endorse revenue stabilisation mechanisms such as 2-sided CfDs. See our piece on this here.
Our key event of the year is the WindEurope Annual Event in Bilbao on 5-7 April. Registration is now open, and so are stand sales – but exhibition space is selling fast! You can look at the floorplan here and get in touch with our team to land the right spot.
With that I’d like to wish you all the best for the year ahead.
Kind regards,
Giles Dickson
Wind Intelligence Platform
Our featured interactive map this month:
This interactive map shows you all the offshore wind farms in Europe by state of development and technology. It provides information on size, location, developers, component and services suppliers and its timeline. It also has a new feature: you can now filter by wind farm name or by company.
Our featured interactive tool this month:
This tool provides corporate renewable PPAs in Europe to date, by technology, country and sector. It also lists the corporates in Europe with the largest volume of PPA capacity under contract.
Member’s Success
DP Energy and Iberdrola open new Ireland Offshore Wind Office in Cork City
DP Energy, one of Ireland’s leading developers of renewable energy projects, and global energy leader Iberdrola have officially opened their new Ireland Offshore Wind Joint Venture Office in Horgan’s Quay, Cork City. The new 1,300 sq. ft facility at 1 Horgan’s Quay on Waterfront Square in Cork City was officially unveiled by An Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
This is the second DP Energy office in Cork, with their global headquarters based in Buttevant. The Irish offshore team currently consists of 17 people based in Cork, with plans to expand the team throughout the various stages of project development.
Micheál Martin, An Taoiseach, said: “It is a great honour to open this brand new state-of-the-art office in the heart of Cork City for one of Ireland’s leading developers of renewable energy – DP Energy. It is a tremendously exciting time for the company and for the region of Cork to be able to do their critical work at this world-class base. Renewable energy will play a significant role across the island’s future as we look to prosper and grow in a truly sustainable manner. I look forward to seeing DP Energy and Iberdrola’s progress at home and abroad as we look to work together for a green future for the entire nation.”
Simon De Pietro, CEO at DP Energy, said: “We are delighted that An Taoiseach Micheál Martin joined us today to open this office facility in the heart of Cork City. DP Energy has for many years carried out renewable energy developments (wind, solar and ocean energy) globally from its headquarters in Buttevant. This new office is a significant milestone in our aim to complete offshore wind projects in the seas around Ireland alongside our Joint Venture partners Iberdrola. We have built up a significant amount of global expertise in renewable energy over the past 30 years and we are delighted to be in a position to bring this to Ireland to help the country achieve its Climate Action goals and support the battle against climate change. It has been truly exciting to see our team grow both in Ireland and internationally and this new office in Cork will provide a springboard for continued success, while also contributing to the local Cork economy.”
Commenting on the milestone, Charlie Jordan, Iberdrola UK and Ireland Offshore Wind Director, said: “Ireland can be at the forefront of Europe’s offshore wind sector, and benefit from billions of euros of investment and the creation of thousands of highly skilled jobs. We are delivering major offshore wind projects all over the world, and it is clear to Ireland has excellent conditions to grow this new clean energy sector. DP Energy is one of Ireland’s renewable energy pioneers and our new office facilities are a sign of a shared commitment to deliver new offshore wind projects here. We were delighted to welcome the Taoiseach today to discuss our plans for the years ahead.”
DP Energy entered into a Joint Venture with Iberdrola in February 2021 for a 3 GW pipeline of offshore wind projects. As one of the world’s largest renewable energy producers, Iberdrola has substantial experience in offshore wind development and, importantly, shares DP Energy’s commitment to a sustainable and ethical approach to development.
DP Energy and Iberdrola have submitted Investigative Foreshore Licence Applications for three offshore wind projects around the Irish Coast:
- Inis Ealga Marine Energy Park, off the coast of Cork and Waterford (floating)
- Clarus Offshore Wind Farm, off the coast of Clare and Kerry (floating)
- Shelmalere Offshore Wind Farm, off the coast of Wicklow and Wexford (fixed)
Once operational, the three offshore wind projects will generate enough green energy to power the equivalent of 2.6 million Irish homes. Delivery of these schemes, hoped to be operational between 2028 and 2030, will significantly contribute to Ireland’s Climate Action Plan target of 80% renewable electricity by 2030. Supporting post-2030 Government aspirations of 30 GW of offshore renewables, the DP Energy / Iberdrola joint venture will also be responsible for developing future offshore wind pipelines in Ireland.
Members interview: IPA Global
This week, we sat down with Edward Merrow, President and Founder of Independent Project Analysis, Inc. (IPA), to discuss the growth of the offshore wind market and their goal of fostering improvements in project delivery.
Events
WindEurope Annual Event 2022 in Bilbao
When: 5-7 April
Where: Bilbao
WindEurope is returning to Bilbao on 5-7 April 2022 – for a full wind industry reunion. Where we will be setting the wheels in motion, and planning for a decarbonised Europe.
What can you look forward to while your there?
An extensive conference filled with learning opportunities – updates on science and tech, market and regulatory developments, and a chance to listen to speakers from industry, government, finance and elsewhere.
A dynamic exhibition space for brands looking to put themselves at the heart of the wind sector, and the centre of the idea marketplace! Stands are selling fast – get yours now while you can!
And a world-class venue in a major European hub for wind energy – with plenty to see, eat and drink on the side!
Do join us if you can!
WindEnergy Hamburg 2022
When: 27-30 September
Where: Hamburg
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.
Webinar: How to make the most of WindEurope’s Intelligence Platform
When: 27 January, 15:00-16:00 CEST
Ever wanted to have all data on annual wind installations across Europe available at a glance? And all the stats on ports, financing, decommissioning and much more – all at the click of a button?
WindEurope’s Intelligence Platform is your virtual library where we collect all industry and market intelligence to help you to get up to speed on market developments.
Tune in for just an hour on Thursday 27 January to get a full breakdown of the Platform and save yourself time and money – by making it your go-to business and market intelligence resource.
Join our experts on 27 January, 15:00-16:00
- Guy Brindley, Market Intelligence Manager & Senior Finance Analyst
- Lizet Ramirez, Analyst – Offshore Wind
- Ivan Komusanac, Analyst – Markets & Wind Energy Technology
This webinar is designed for managers, analysts, and advisors on market intelligence, strategy, business development, and regulatory and public affairs. You can register for free at the link here.
Corewind Webinar – Breakthrough research for floating wind
When: 9 February, 10:00-11:30 CEST
The Corewind project will be hosting a webinar on “Breakthrough research for floating wind”. The COREWIND project provides disruptive and cost-effective solutions for floating offshore wind technology, leading to costs lower than €100/MWh. This innovative project is developing research, modelling and optimisation for concrete-based semi-submersible and spar floating structure concepts.
The webinar will see project partners from IREC, UPC, Esteyco, Ramboll, IHCantabria and WindEurope detailing the latest innovations in the project.
The focus will be primarily on innovations in mooring and cables design and dynamics, floating wind O&M strategies and overall optimisation of floating wind farms.
Windflix release: Tea & Champagne Episode 4 – key energy policy developments at the start of 2022
What’s the policy outlook as we head into 2022? This week, Giles and Pierre get together for a New Year debrief of the situation around Europe. Energy prices remain high, but we’ve seen major breakthroughs as well – new Green-minded Governments in Germany and the Netherlands, new rules on State Aid Guidelines, and ambitious wind auctions to look forward to over the coming months.
