WindEurope Bulletin
WindEurope Bulletin October 2021
6 October 2021
CEO Foreword
Dear WindEurope Member,
The major rise in wholesale electricity prices in recent months has sparked significant debate – and a range of different measures from Governments, some of them deeply unhelpful. We’ve been working with others such as Eurelectric to ensure the EU and National Governments understand why power prices have risen (it’s 80% due to the high gas prices), and to explain to them what they should and should not be doing in response.
The “should” here involves:
- cutting taxes on electricity consumption. Electricity is taxed FSR more than gas per unit of energy.
- We’ve been urging a level playing field on this for years. Encouragingly the current situation now seems to be prompting many Governments to tackle this, including by shifting the tax burden from electricity bills to general taxation;
- implementing EU rules that require Governments to ensure consumers are offered more flexible electricity prices depending on their demand. Most countries still don’t have the level of “dynamic pricing” the EU requires; and
- accelerating the expansion of renewables. Any ideas that renewables are to blame for the current situation are getting little traction. On the contrary, people are realising we are (still) too dependent on fossil fuel imports – and gas-fired power generation. The EU and many Governments are very clear that it shows we need more RES more quickly.
The “should not” means don’t do what Spain are doing – don’t impose new charges on wind farms that up-end their business models, which in many cases result in them having negative revenue and which therefore result in less wind energy production and fewer investments in new wind farms.
Here is a set of recommendations we have presented to the European Commission with the Electrification Alliance. Here is our statement on what Spain is doing. And here is a further letter to the EU Commission about the Spanish measures we’ve co-signed with others.
The EU Commission is preparing a “toolbox” of measures that Governments can and should be taking in response to the current situation. We are leaning on them to say the right things – and to stand firm in defence of the internal EU electricity market.
The high gas prices further reinforce the importance of electrifying the energy system. Remember Europe’s energy is only one quarter electricity today. The EU want it to be three-quarters by 2050: 57% direct electrification of energy; and 18% indirect via renewable hydrogen. In short, electrification is the only game in town. And the EU see wind being half of Europe’s electricity by 2050 – read our recent report on that here. But we need to get our priorities in order first. Europe needs to prioritise the deployment of those technologies that will deliver direct and indirect electrification. And as we’ve stressed many times, we need to simplify permitting procedures across the board.
Electrification is going to be the main theme of our annual event this year, Electric City 2021 in Copenhagen on 23-25 November.
We’ll have representatives from wind and other sectors – transport, heating, heavy industry, storage, and hydrogen – whose collaboration will be vital in transforming the energy system. Here is the conference programme. We have 300+ exhibitors already confirmed – and there’s still a bit of space available in the halls. The speakers will all be there in person, including 10 Government Ministers from around Europe, former Formula 1 now Formula E driver Stoffel Vandoorne – and a wide range of industry players, policy-makers, start-ups, scientists and people from finance. All taking place in a recently renovated venue at the Bella Center in Copenhagen – recently named Europe’s safest city by The Economist.
You can register for Electric City here. COVID means on-site registration won’t be possible, and you’ll need your vaccination or immunity certificate to register. But there’ll then be no restrictions on site: no masks or distancing, and there’ll be stand receptions in the normal way.
In the meantime, we’ll have two other events touching on key issues. The annual RE-Source Event is in Amsterdam on 14-15 October. This is Europe’s largest event on Corporate Renewable PPAs – a key gathering for corporate buyers and renewable energy sellers. Industrial consumers have been knocking on our door, looking to decarbonise with wind. The RE-Source Event brings these two together, helping to fuel a demand-driven energy transition – and contributing to broader electrification. Registration is still open – do join if you can!
Then we have our annual End-of-Life Issues and Strategies Seminar (EoLIS 2021), in Brussels on 4-5 November. It’ll cover all the issues around repowering and lifetime extension, including decommissioning, dismantling and blade recycling. Click here to sign up.
Finally, a reminder as well that our Call for Abstracts for our Annual Event 2022 in Bilbao is now open. We’re calling for abstracts on technologies, concepts, research, ideas and solutions that will help accelerate the transition to a renewables-based, electrified energy system. The deadline for submissions is 31 October – click here to see the full range of topics, and submit your ideas.
I wish you an enjoyable read.
Kind regards,
Giles Dickson
Wind Intelligence Platform
Members’ Successes
Designing the Capital Delivery Framework for Wind Energy (IPA)
Independent Project Analysis (IPA), a global leader in capital project risk analysis and benchmarking, recently collaborated with an offshore wind company to identify ways to improve the client’s project system in response to its rapidly growing capital project portfolio. As a major player in offshore wind, the company is planning to execute many projects—including several projects in parallel across different geographical locations—in the coming years. Through project evaluations and interviews with key stakeholders, IPA identified focus areas for improvement in project planning and execution to help the client achieve its corporate goal of delivering projects at low cost and on time.
Since 1987, IPA has worked closely with organisations to help them achieve capital projects excellence by bringing our expertise and research on what drives capital project success. To execute projects well and deliver successful outcomes (i.e., to be predictable and competitive), owner companies need to have robust project organisations, teams, processes, and governance, as well as close involvement from the owner company throughout the project life cycle. The questions that IPA is actively working with the client to address are applicable across the offshore wind industry:
- Is the organisation adequately set up for the new corporate objectives and rapid growth?
- What infrastructure and governance system gaps might hinder successful delivery of these opportunities?
- How can we drive standardisation throughout the portfolio while allowing room for innovation?
- How can we maintain Best-in-Class project controls as the offshore wind markets tighten and the supply chain is stretched?
IPA presented the findings to different levels and groups within the company to ensure the recommendations are communicated and to get buy-in to the suggested changes and improvements. The key to the successful relationship with the company is that the engagements have been collaborative, with IPA and the project teams working together to structure mid- and long-term solutions. The company is open and willing to learn from other industries and sees the value in IPA’s methodology and data-driven approach.
Members interview: Carbex
This month, we sat down with Joakim Hedlund, CEO of Carbex, to discuss their history in carbon brush development and their expanding role in the power and signal sectors.
Events
RE-Source 2021
When: 14-15 November
Where: Amsterdam
We’re getting together at RE-Source 2021 in Amsterdam on 14-15 November – to learn, to explore, to network, to exchange ideas with your peers, and much more.
We’re excited to meet again in person at Europe’s leading renewable energy sourcing event. We’ll be bringing together renewable energy sourcing experts from Google, Microsoft, Heineken, DG Energy, Statkraft, Engie, the European Investment Bank, and many more to discuss topics including:
- Fit for 55 – a breakdown of the legislative proposals
- The new Renewable Energy Directive (RED III)
- Renewable hydrogen – what part can it play in decarbonising Europe
- How we can meet Europe’s growing need for renewable energy
- What your CFO needs to know about energy financing
- 24/7 sourcing of renewables – new white paper launch
- How to make renewable power purchase agreements accessible to cities.
We all need to start electrifying our operations with green power. We at RE-Source have the know-how, tools and partners to help anyone who needs it.
See the full agenda and register here.
New to PPAs? Check out our Toolkit to see where to begin, and get started on your journey by joining us in Amsterdam!
We look forward to seeing you there!
EoLIS 2021
When: 4-5 November
Where: Brussels
It’s a fact: wind turbines don’t last forever. A large part of Europe’s turbine fleet will come to the end of its operational life over the next 10-15 years. We need to replace outgoing wind capacity in a timely and effective manner.
So how much can we repower? How much will be decommissioned? And is there a way to sustainably recycle all turbine material? WindEurope recently called for a European landfill ban on decommissioned wind turbine blades by 2025, so these questions are more pressing than ever.
At our End-of-Life Issues and Strategies Seminar (EoLIS), we’re setting things in motion. Every year we’re joined by experts from across industry, policy and academia to look at all aspects of turbine end-of-life. At this year’s seminar in Brussels on 4-5 November we’ll be covering all the bases – repowering, lifetime extension, decommissioning, hybridisation, supply chain circularity and blade recyclability. Check out our programme overview.
Brussels is open again for conferences and in-person meetings and working together with the local authorities and Visit.Brussels, we can ensure a safe event while following all the health and healthy guidelines and best practices.
Registration is now open for EoLIS 2021. We’ll have different packages for in-person and online attendees, and special prices for WindEurope Members, NGOs, academics and students – more info on our registration page here.
Electric City 2021
When: 23-25 November
Where: Copenhagen
Join us in Europe’s safest city from 23-25 November as we get down to business on all things electric. We look forward to seeing you there!
Electrification is the name of the game. Europe is going from one-quarter to three-quarters electric by 2050. That means huge opportunities for wind. You can read more about it in our recent electrification report. Electric City is our chance to lay out the roadmap for this electrified future.
Who’s coming? 300+ exhibitors, hundreds of speakers – and 10 Government Ministers from across Europe. We’ll have leading industry players, start-ups and academics, with cutting edge ideas on the energy transition. We’ll be featuring a wide-ranging conference covering every aspect of electrification – check out the programme. We’ll also be hosting representatives from other sectors – transport, heating, heavy industry, energy storage and hydrogen – who’s cooperation and collaboration will be vital if we’re going to electrify the energy system. See some of the big names here.
And the venue? Denmark has lifted all its restrictions. The recently renovated Bella Center has already hosted a number of safe events in recent months. Here is our health & safety protocol for the event which we’ve drawn up with the Danish authorities, the venue and leading exhibitors.
Don’t miss out! Registration is now open – you can register here. And for health reasons, you have to register before you come – on-site registration will not be possible.
WindEurope Annual Event 2022, Bilbao – Call for Abstracts
When: 5-7 April 2022
Where: Bilbao
The WindEurope Annual Event 2022 is on the horizon! We’ll be meeting in Bilbao on 5-7 April next year for a full catch-up on everything that’s going on in onshore and offshore wind – and what we can do to speed up decarbonisation in Europe.
If you want to play your part or share your thoughts with your peers, now’s your chance! We want to hear from you! We’re calling for abstracts on technologies, concepts, research, ideas and solutions that will help accelerate the transition to a renewables-based, electrified energy system.
What are the topics? We’re covering a lot of ground at our Annual Event, including of course both onshore and offshore wind, but we’ll also continue to focus on electrifying the wider energy system. You can see a full breakdown of the topics on the portal here.
In terms of contributions, we’re looking for concrete examples of already–implemented operational solutions, experience and feedback from the field, including real-world data, and innovative research, concepts and ideas.
The deadline for submissions is 31 October! For full guidelines on how and what to submit, please see the links provided. We will review abstracts over the course of November and unveil the selections in January.
The portal is now open! Click here to get started!
We are also calling for abstract reviewers! If you’d like exclusive insight into the latest developments and happenings in the wind industry and beyond, you can volunteer to review abstracts for the Bilbao Annual Event – click here to sign-up before 26 October! The abstract review will take place from 1 to 30 November 2021.
ETIPWind: EUSEW Session – “How R&I in Offshore Wind Technologies contributes towards climate neutrality by 2050?”
When: Wednesday, 13 October, 12:00-13:30 CEST
Where: Online (Register here)
On 14 July the European Commission presented its “Fit-for-55” package, 13 pieces of legislation all aimed at delivering the EU’s new 55% climate target for 2030 and setting the course towards climate neutrality. In this context, EU wants to increase its offshore wind capacity from today’s 15 GW to at least 60 GW by 2030 to 300 GW by 2050.
The EU is the world leader in offshore wind technologies and has great potential to accelerate deployment and continue delivering cost reductions.
Join our experts and to hear about the state-of-the-art technologies in offshore wind power and key takeaways from the most innovative projects funded by the H2020 Programme including:
- ROMEO project: O&M information management platform for offshore wind farms;
- FLAGSHIP project: Floating offshore wind optimisation for commercialisation; and
- ELICAN project: First self-installing bottom-fixed offshore wind turbine.
The event will be held online and will be free to attend. It is organised by the European Technology & Innovation Platform on Wind Energy (ETIPWind).
See the full programme and register here.
Note: the link to access Microsoft Teams will be sent 24h before the day of the workshop.
For any questions, please contact [email protected]
Partner events
FOWT 2021
Join your partners, future customers, and colleagues in France, for the world’s largest event dedicated to floating offshore wind turbines! The theme of the 2021 edition is “Full speed ahead”, marking the launch of the commercial phase of floating offshore wind, in France and around the world.
We’d like to remind you that this edition will be held for the first time in Saint-Malo in Brittany, from 16-18 November 2021 in total compliance with health requirements. A health pass will be required to physically access the event. In light of ongoing travel restrictions, FOWT will also be accessible online anywhere in the world, live and in replay for all registered participants.
Poul la Cour Award
The Poul la Cour Awards are dedicated to recognising individuals who have made a unique impact on wind power in Europe.
Have someone in mind? You can now nominate your favourite candidate!
What is the Award for?
The Poul la Cour Award is a cooperative effort between the Poul la Cour Foundation and WindEurope. Named after the Danish wind energy pioneer Poul la Cour, it recognises individuals who have made a unique contribution to the improvement and utilisation of wind power in Europe.
It was last awarded at our Conference in Bilbao in 2019 – click here to see the previous winners!
Who can you nominate?
Anyone who has made a unique and lasting improvement benefitting the development and use of wind power across Europe. For more information on the nomination criteria, see our dedicated page here.
Interested in nominating someone?
Just click the link here and complete our quick nomination form by 10 October 2021.
This year’s Award will be presented at a special ceremony at Electric City 2021, in Copenhagen (23-25 November)!
Please note: You can only propose one nominee. You cannot put forward anyone who holds a position in politics, nationally and/or at European level.
Windflix
Stay tuned; more fresh wind-related content on Windflix this October!
In September we added our latest installment of videos, which you can see here – covering everything from policy to market intelligence to national reports. We’ll have more fresh content on the way for October – keep an eye out for this!
Remember, you can access the platform wherever and whenever. Just sit back and hit play – we’ll do all the rest!
