WindEurope Bulletin
WindEurope Bulletin September 2021
7 September 2021
CEO Foreword
Dear WindEurope Member,
We’ve been talking a lot about the EU’s ambition to go climate neutral and the need for a new rule book to get us there. A few weeks ago the European Commission tabled these new rules in their “Fit-for-55” package: 13 pieces of legislation, all aimed at cutting back the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030.
At the heart of these proposals is a big increase in the EU’s 2030 renewables target. From 32% to 40%. That means 30 GW of new wind a year. Today we’re building 15 GW a year.
This increased ambition makes it even more important for us to tackle our permitting and grid buildout challenges. The Commission have now promised us help on the permitting. They are planning detailed new guidance to National Governments on how to simplify their permitting rules and procedures. We are working with them on the substance of this, and it should issue in the first half of 2022.
The “Fit-for-55” package also includes new measures that will extend and further strengthen the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. The CO2 price in Europe has already risen from €5 to €60 in the last three years. The new measures would likely increase it further and (controversially in some quarters) apply it also to building and transport, impacting more directly on consumers. The package would also make it impossible to buy a combustion engine car from 2035. And of particular interest to us, they’d remove the current loophole where Governments can withhold Guarantees of Origin from wind farms that are getting public financial support – which would be a big help for PPAs.
All the proposals will now be negotiated by National Governments and the European Parliament. So lots of advocacy in front of us still. See our statement here.
Alongside the Fit-for-55 package, the EU Commission are also revising their State Aid Guidelines. These are the rules on what Governments can and can’t do to support climate and energy projects. We need to get these right, especially to ensure countries can still do technology-specific auctions if they want to. And that they can continue doing CfD auctions. Here is our response to the Commission’s consultation on this.
There are major developments at national level too. Germany will elect its first post-Merkel government later this month. This will have big implications for the energy transition in Germany. It’s vital the new Government recognises the crucial importance of wind and takes urgent action to simplify the permitting of new wind farms and the repowering of existing ones. Here is a joint statement to German political parties that we’ve issued with the German wind energy associations.
Now our events. Our 2021 annual event, Electric City, takes place in Copenhagen on 23-25 November. After nearly two years online, we’ll be meeting in person at last, in a secure and state-of-the-art setting at the Bella Centre. The Economist recently named Copenhagen the safest city in Europe, so the location is ideal. Our theme is electrification – how can wind help electrify Europe’s energy system. We’ll be joined by 8 Energy Ministers from across Europe plus industry figures, financiers and scientists. We’ll have representatives from other sectors to discuss shared approaches to electrification. We’ll also feature dedicated areas focusing on start-ups, EU projects, health & safety, and exhibitors (make sure to book your spot if you haven’t – get in touch with our Sales team for more info). Full registration opens mid-September – do join if you can!
WindEurope’s Annual Technology Workshop gets underway this Wednesday 8 September, looking at Resource Assessment and Analysis of Operating Wind Farms. Wind is expected to be half of Europe’s electricity in 2050 – we certainly have our work cut out for us. Technology is the key to getting us there. The opportunities for innovators and developers have never been greater, and we’re eager to hear all about your latest innovations and ideas at our Workshop this week. Do register here if you can.
October sees the RE-Source Event 2021, Europe’s leading corporate energy procurement event. Our annual gathering of corporate buyers and clean energy sellers will take place at the Okura Hotel in Amsterdam on 14-15 October – for more info and registration, click here.
In November, our annual End-of-Life Issues and Strategies Seminar (EoLIS) is on 4-5 November in Brussels. We’ll be covering recent developments in the areas of repowering, lifetime extension, decommissioning and blade circularity.
I wish you an enjoyable read.
Kind regards,
Giles Dickson
Highlights
LearnWind
Small steps now could make a big difference down the line. And that difference could mean a sustainable future and a greener planet. By drawing on the know-how within our organisation and from among our members, we have put together a Learning Hub that showcases information about wind – to teach young people about the importance of climate change and wind energy.
We’re also publishing a new book which aims at inspiring kids to consider working in wind and the clean energy sector in general. When I Grow Up presents 21 different people, each telling us their own story about how and why they came to work in the clean energy sector – and why they’re passionate about it.
We’re sharing an educational toolkit, developed as part of our pilot project in a Belgian school. You can see what the students thought about the programme in this video.
The aim of this Learning Hub is to put all of this valuable information onto one platform and make it as public and useful as possible! So please help us to spread our message far and wide!
A big thank you to everyone who has contributed to this!
Wind Intelligence Platform
Members interview: Gurit
We sat down with Mitja Schulz, Gurit CEO, to discuss their role as a system partner for turbine blade manufacturers, and as a leading mould-maker worldwide.
Events
WindEurope Technology Workshop 2021 – Kicking off this week!
We’re nearly there – this year’s Technology Workshop gets going this Wednesday at 10:00 CEST!
We have a wide-ranging programme – with 50+ expert speakers representing all parts of the supply chain – taking you through the latest developments in wind resource assessment, analysis of operating wind farms, big data, artificial intelligence applications in wind, and wind power forecasting.
We’ll look at how to unleash the power of data to improve wind modelling, power forecasting and to optimise operations. We’ll address control strategies, tools & datasets and get an update on the work of the IEA’s Task 43 on digitalisation.
We’ll also present the results of the latest CREYAP exercise, where over 25 teams applied their models to a set of data from a real offshore wind farm, to benchmark the performance of models and measure how good we are at modelling wind flows!
And we’ll look at the relevance of time-series in an environment impacted by climate change.
We’ll also get a strategic perspective from Salvatore Bernabei, CEO of Enel Green Power, on how digitalisation is transforming the industry. And some extra special sessions with software demos from UL, EMD and Resco.
We’ll have over 80 posters to download, presented in video.
And you’ll meet your peers! The new digital platform that we are using, Swapcard, offers a very intuitive way to connect and network, and we have set up topical video chatrooms where you’ll be able to continue the discussion after each session.
Plus of course you’ll have the possibility to (re-)watch the sessions on-demand after the event, if you couldn’t watch them live.
And all that for half the price or less than what you’d pay at a commercial event – because our events are made by wind enthusiasts to advance your business and the wind energy sector.
So what are you waiting for? Register now while you still can!
Your community is calling, and we look forward to seeing you!
EoLIS 2021 & Pre-event webinar
The third edition of our End-of-Life Issues and Strategies Seminar (EoLIS) takes place in Brussels, on 4-5 November. Every year this event brings together experts from industry, academia and policy to discuss the ageing wind turbine fleet, and the challenges and opportunities linked to it – for breakdown of the topics, take a look at our programme overview.
Pre-event webinar
In the meantime, we are inviting you to join our free pre-event webinar, touching on some of the key issues early on.
When: 23 September, 14:00-15:00 CEST
In light of recent regulatory developments (including the release of the “Fit for 55” Package and progress on State Aid Guidelines revision) we will use this session to address three main topics:
- Permitting (ahead of the potential release of EU guidelines this October)
- Choosing between Lifetime Extension and Repowering
- Sustainability (reaffirming our messaging around the landfill ban and our commitments to supply chain sustainability).
Register for pre-event webinar
ETIPWind Workshop – Making Europe’s power grid fit for climate neutrality
When: 28 September, 10:00-13:00 CEST
Join us on 28 September to discuss the technologies and policies that will deliver a reliable climate-neutral energy system powered by wind energy.
To deliver climate neutrality in 2050 the EU needs to electrify 75% of its energy demand. And wind energy will need to provide 50% of all that electricity. To get all that energy to where it is needed the EU needs to rigorously prioritise investments in electricity infrastructure. And set the right market signals to deploy innovative technologies at scale.
Together with policymakers, researchers and industry experts, we’ll look into the pivotal role of Europe’s grids. How will they evolve? What are the new innovative technologies? And how can we optimise the use of existing infrastructure? We will also hear how European funding will support government investments in large energy infrastructure works.
The event will be online and free to attend. It is organised by the European Technology & Innovation Platform on Wind Energy.
R&I Funding under Horizon Europe: what’s in it for wind?
When: 4 October, 10:00-12:00 CEST
The European Commission has published the first calls for projects under Horizon Europe, the new Research & Innovation framework programme for the years 2021-2027. Wind energy will receive at least €136m in 2021-2022. This is almost double what was promised under the previous Horizon 2020 Work Programme.
Tune in on 4 October to learn more and potentially find your ideal partner for submitting a project proposal. Carlos-Eduardo Lima de Cunha, Policy Officer at DG RTD in the European Commission, will tell you all about the open calls for wind energy and renewables. And Francesca Harris, Project Manager at CINEA, will help you navigate the rules for applicants and will share some tips and tricks on how to successfully apply to the calls. Later in the webinar, you will be able to connect with other companies interested in applying to one of the following calls for projects:
- Wind energy in the natural and social environment;
- Demonstration of innovative materials, supply cycles, recycling technologies to increase the overall circularity of wind energy technology and to reduce the primary use of critical raw materials;
- Innovation on floating wind energy deployment optimised for deep waters and different sea basins (Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Baltic Sea, North-east Atlantic Ocean).
Following the webinar you will have another two weeks to access the webinar platform and pre-book one-on-one meetings with more companies across the wind sector. That way you will maximise your chances of finding the perfect partners for your next Horizon Europe proposal!
The webinar will be moderated by WindEurope’s EU funding advisor, Sabina Potestio.
You will receive the link to access the platform a few weeks before the webinar.
RE-Source 2021
When: 14-15 October
Where: Okura Hotel (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
The RE-Source Event is the annual gathering of corporate buyers and clean energy suppliers, where current challenges are tackled and future solutions are born. Join us on 14-15 October at the Okura Hotel in Amsterdam, to learn more, share experiences and do business with companies active or interested in the European market.
Make sure to save the date now – tickets will go on sale later this month! Stay tuned!
Electric City 2021 – Book your spot at the heart of the action!
When: 23-25 November
Where: Bella Center (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Electric City is our annual wind energy event, but with a difference. We use this gathering to look beyond our sector and see how wind can plug itself into the broader electrification of the European energy system. If wind is going to be half of Europe’s power mix by 2050, there’s a lot of planning to be done – and we can’t do it on our own.
So join us for this gathering of policymakers, industry leaders, and representatives of other sectors as we get to grips with Europe’s electrified future, and all that it entails.
Want to put yourself centre-stage? Pitch your brand to thousands of attendees? Over 300 exhibitors have already booked a spot – but there’s still time to book yours!
Check out our floorplan here to see what’s on offer! Contact our Sales team, they will be happy to assist you with booking your stand.
Partner events
Don’t miss GOW21!
GOW21 will present a fantastic opportunity to re-engage with the offshore wind community, hear from Government Ministers and globally-leading experts, meet with organisations and interact with like-minded colleagues in-person after many months apart. Don’t miss 3000+ visitors, 120+ speakers, 140+ exhibitors and hours of exclusive content.
