WindEurope Bulletin
WindEurope Bulletin May 2021
3 May 2021
CEO Foreword
Dear WindEurope Member,
Last week was the deadline for Member States to submit their Recovery & Resilience Plans (RRPs) to the European Commission. There’s a lot at stake here. The RRPs will define how the EU spend its €750bn Recovery Fund. 37% of each RRP has to go towards fighting climate change. We’re working very closely with the Commission and our National Associations to ensure Governments spend this on the right projects: grid infrastructure, ports, roads, EV charging stations and R&D. And crucially that Governments make the right reforms to deliver on these investments. The Commission has to approve all the RRPs so they have a lot of leverage to push Governments to use their Plans to accelerate the Green Deal.
In parallel we’re lobbying hard on the upcoming “Fit-for-55” package that will align the EU’s climate and energy legislation with the new 55% climate target the EU has agreed. As part of the package the Commission will propose raising the EU’s renewables target from 32% of energy consumption by 2030 to 38-40%. Two weeks ago we met with EU Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson and pressed the importance of the Commission helping Member States improve and accelerate the permitting of wind farms. We’re saying there’s no point raising the renewables target if we don’t simplify permitting rules and procedures. We also highlighted the need to incentivise corporate PPAs with better rules on Guarantees of Origin. Last week we also met with Mauro Petriccione, Director-General for Climate Action in the Commission, to emphasise the need for Europe to tighten the EU Emissions Trading System as part of the Fit-for-55 package.
The Commission will unveil its proposals for the Fit-for-55 package on 14 July. See our position paper on the package here. And join our next Sofa Talk on 12 May for a deep dive into our industry’s proposals to ensure the new Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) supports the accelerated expansion of wind, and renewables-based electrification more generally. The following Sofa Talk on 3 June will look at advanced manufacturing and how it can breathe new life into European technology leadership.
On 8 June we will then publish a big report on the role of wind in electrifying industry, buildings and mobility in a net zero economy. We’re doing it at an online event with top EU Commission people and the Portuguese Energy Minister João Galamba (they have the EU Presidency right now). We’re doing it with the EU’s Technology and Innovation Platform for Wind Energy which we run for the Commission with industry and academia to shape the EU’s innovation agenda.
Finally, the programme of our 8-10 September Technology Workshop on resource and operational assessment is now available online. We’ll be covering changes in AI, digitalisation strategies, and the future of wind power forecasting. There will be sponsored parallel sessions alongside the main stream, and networking sessions at the end of each day – a great chance to share ideas and forge new partnerships. For more info and a chance to register your interest, check out the site here.
I wish you an enjoyable read.
Kind regards,
Giles Dickson
Policy News
Monthly Advocacy Report
What policies are being cooked up in Brussels? How will they affect your business? What is the power play between the EU institutions? Who’s WindEurope speaking to when shaping policies? What have we been communicating as an industry to different stakeholders? How can I get involved in meetings?
For answers to these questions, look no further than WindEurope’s Advocacy Report. This is our monthly compilation of the latest intelligence from Brussels on all the topics we cover for the wind industry. Together with all the position papers and reports we’ve developed both with you and for you. And a recap of all the policymakers and stakeholders we’ve met to pass on our industry’s policy priorities.
Product news
Check out our new WindEurope Intelligence Platform (WIP)
WindEurope has a team of 55 experts that are building on the know-how and expertise of 400+ member companies and national association networks. Thanks to this, we are able to deliver a range of top quality, timely and credible wind energy intelligence.You can find hundreds of reports, videos, infographics, interactive statistical data, market development trends, and much more to help you with your daily work and to inform your decision-making.
The new platform showcases all of our market intelligence products and puts you in charge of what you want to see.
You can filter it by year, topic, and the type of feature you’re looking for: webinars, statistics, reports, and a whole lot more!
As a WindEurope member, you can create a free account to access more in-depth reports, members-only products, and webinar recordings – depending on your membership category. If you haven’t already, make sure to create an account here. If you already have a WIP account, log in via the green button below. For questions about your account, status or membership category upgrades, please contact the WindEurope membership team.
As part of our Bulletin Product News updates going forward, we will be highlighting new WindEurope products in each edition of the Bulletin.
Wind Turbine Orders Monitoring – Q1 2021
This report summarises the announced wind turbine orders in the first quarter of this year. It also provides a market analysis of the industry based on the number of orders, capacity ordered, sellers, buyers and other sectoral and technology indicators.
Members’ Successes
Perception of climate change risks and opportunities in the offshore wind industry
The offshore wind sector has an important role to play in the world’s future energy mix, and its adaptability and resilience in the face of a changing climate are critical. For this reason, AqualisBraemar LOC ASA (ABL) is performing a survey that seeks to shed light on how the renewable energy industry views the potential impact of climate change on offshore wind farm design, construction and operation.
This survey is applicable to a variety of stakeholders in the offshore wind market, aiming to capture different perspectives from across the industry. The survey findings will form the basis of an independent study on how the industry currently perceives the potential impact of climate change on offshore wind infrastructure, encouraging discussion on ensuing industry opportunities and actions in this segment.
The Port of Gdynia is ready to build an offshore wind terminal!
Photo by Piotr Lewandowski. © TOSEM.pl // MarineMedia.eu
The Port of Gdynia Authority S.A., in view of the development of the offshore industry in Poland, may create the offshore wind terminal on the pier of the Outer Port. According to internal analyses and ongoing PPP model recommendations for building the Outer Port in the Port of Gdynia, the terminal is expected to be located on the pier of the Outer Port. Hence, such infrastructural settings in Poland would maximise involvement of Polish stakeholders in this endeavour and boost local economic activity (so-called ‘local content’).
From the point of view of the maritime economy, and current ‘Green Deal’ trends, offshore wind energy is a great opportunity for the development of the port, the city, the surrounding region, and Poland as a whole.
The preparation phase of the project is at an advanced stage. If the OWF projects in Poland are to be implemented on time, it is crucial for the Polish government to make a final decision on the location of the offshore wind installation terminal as soon as possible. It is necessary to provide financing and substantive support in the field of obtaining the required approvals and permits.
The project encompasses the construction of a new port pier with new hinterland links (both rail and road connections) where the offshore wind terminal (ca. 30,000 m2) and deepwater container terminal (the main functionality of the new port areas) would be located. The main objective of the project is ensuring the long-term development perspective of the Port of Gdynia. The OW terminal in Gdynia will contribute to the development of the Trans-European Transport Network, through construction and redevelopment of the road and rail connections to the port as one of the nodes of the TEN-T Core Network. The Outer Port will help to reduce the negative impact of freight transport on the environment, enhancing port multimodal potential, as well as fostering the Polish labour market.The offshore wind terminal project is interlinked with the concept of the container terminal facility. The investment (OW terminal) is expected to be realised within 48 months of the governmental decision to locate the new infrastructure in the Port of Gdynia, assuming that all required permits and decisions are made with no delays. The proposed location of the terminal is determined by optimal hydrotechnical and navigation conditions for vessels transporting offshore components.
The Port of Gdynia is a universal modern port specialising in handling general cargo, mainly unitised cargo transported in containers and in a ro-ro system, based on the well-developed network of multimodal connections including hinterland, regular Short Sea Shipping Lines as well as ferry connections (via a ferry terminal). The Port of Gdynia is an important core node of the Baltic – Adriatic Corridor of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).
Members interview: Comau
This month, we sat down with Andrew Lloyd, Diversified Automation Systems and Electromobility Segment Leader at Comau, to discuss the growing importance of automation and the impact it could have on the wind industry in the years ahead.
Events
Sofa Talks Series
Getting fit for 55 – how can the revision of the EU Renewables Directive support more wind
When: 12 May, 15:00-16:00 CEST
The EU is revising its 2018 Renewable Energy Directive to help deliver on its new 55% climate target. The Directive is the key EU instrument to support delivery of the 2030 renewables target and the wind volumes envisaged in the National Energy Plans. How can the new Directive support the further expansion of wind and the competitiveness of the European wind industry? How can it promote renewable-based electrification? How can it help tackle permitting bottlenecks? Join our panel of industry leaders to find out more.
Advanced manufacturing in the European wind industry
When: 3 June, 15:00-16:00 CEST
Advanced manufacturing of wind turbines will become increasingly important in the delivery of an energy transition “made in Europe”. Under this system, operational and information technologies come together to boost factory output and reduce costs. Automation, robotics, advanced sensing and AI can enable breakthrough innovation in products and manufacturing processes. This will be a key factor in our technology leadership.
The European wind industry is already undergoing major shifts: turbines are getting bigger, development cycles shorter and there’s more modular manufacturing.
What impact will advanced manufacturing have? How can it support Europe’s continued wind technology leadership? Make sure to register to tune into this debate.
Webinar – A 2030 Vision for European Offshore Wind Ports: Future trends and opportunities
When: 27 May, 15:00-16:00 CEST
Join us for this free webinar as WindEurope experts present our upcoming report entitled “A 2030 Vision for European Offshore Wind Ports: Future trends and opportunities". We’ll be discussing key highlights of the report with panellists from ports and from across the wind industry.
WindEurope Technology Workshop 2021 Pre-event Webinar: Digitalisation & Integrating new technologies in wind turbines
When: 9 June, 15:00-16:00 CEST
As a prelude to our Technology Workshop on 8-10 September, join us for this kick-off discussion! Among other topics, we’ll be covering digitalisation, integrating new technologies into wind turbines, control strategies and balancing electricity through wind energy.
WindEurope Technology Workshop 2021 – CREYAP Exercise
Interested in testing the performance of your model?
Our fifth edition of the CREYAP exercise (Comparison of Resource and Energy Yield Assessment Procedures) is organised by Ørsted and the Danish Technical University (DTU) and will look at model performance in predicting net energy yield at the Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm, accounting for wind speed variations over time. In particular, this year’s exercise seeks to focus on:
- Significance of wind farm size and turbine interaction losses.
- Stability effects on energy yield and wake loss.
- Time series of energy production.
The datapack containing instructions and the data for the exercise is available on this dedicated page on the Technology Workshop website.
The exercise is now open and will run until 28 June 2021. The results will be presented at a dedicated session during the Technology Workshop, on 10 September.
RE-Source Calling! Renewable Hydrogen: The leading-edge in corporate renewable energy strategies
When: 19 May, 15:00-16:00 CEST
Companies today are taking action to decarbonise their operations and supply chains across Europe. For most, renewable electricity supply and renewables-based electrification will be the fastest and most efficient path to reducing emissions. However, certain sectors cannot be fully electrified for cost or technical reasons – in these cases, renewable hydrogen is the answer.
Join our newest RE-Source Calling! webinar with the Renewable Hydrogen Coalition and market leaders to learn why renewable hydrogen will be critical to certain corporate sustainability strategies. We will provide specific use cases for renewable hydrogen and identify the sectors where it will be most applicable. Whether renewable hydrogen is the right choice for you or for members of your supply chain, this webinar will give insights into planning for a future with renewable hydrogen.
ETIPWind – Getting Fit for 55 and set for 2050: Electrifying Europe with wind energy
When: 8 June, 15:00-17:30 CEST
Wind energy will be the cornerstone of a climate neutral energy system by 2050. It’s already the most affordable, reliable and scalable climate mitigation technology, and will drive the electrification of transport, buildings and much of the industry that Europe needs to go climate neutral. Research and Innovation in wind technology, electrification and power grid solutions can deliver the resilient, flexible and cost-efficient energy system Europeans want.
ETIPWind is organising a major event at the beginning of June, bringing together policy and industry figures to discuss the future of wind and its role in climate neutrality and electrification. Make sure to save the date – more details on the way!
Partner events
Our partners at Eurelectric are busy gearing up for PowerSummit21!
As Europe’s premier power sector event that will bring together industry leaders, politicians, investors and academics, the focus will be on accelerating the uptake of clean electricity, and planning ahead for an Electric Decade. With thousands of participants and a range of in-depth sessions and content, WindEurope is proud to support this major event.
Save the date! Mark your calendars for 25-28 May.
