16th WINDFORCE Conference: under the banner of a new start
Bremerhaven, 3 July 2020 - The 16th WINDFORCE Conference will take place at the new date on 3 and 4 September in the maritime city of Bremerhaven under special auspices: In the midst of a crisis, but with new long-term perspectives for the expansion of offshore wind power and the importance of offshore wind power for "green" hydrogen, as well as its value-added potential for the state of Bremen and the whole North.
"At last, the Federal Government has decided on an expansion target for 2040. Offshore wind energy is now cheap and powerful and needs this long-term perspective and security," says Ronny Meyer, Bremen State Councillor for Climate Protection, Environment and Mobility.
"The new long-term expansion target of 40 gigawatts by 2040 is an important planning basis for value creation and employment along the entire offshore wind supply chain," says WAB Managing Director Heike Winkler. "This makes it clear that the 'Bremen Declaration' of the last WINDFORCE Conference with the expansion target of 35 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035 represented by the industry was and is realistic and groundbreaking", she adds.
"The fact that the German government has made offshore wind one of the economic policy priorities of its EU Council Presidency and wants to use its national hydrogen strategy to facilitate entry into the industrial production of 'green' hydrogen are further positive signals for the industry," says WAB's CEO Irina Lucke.
As the slowdown in the expansion of offshore wind power in the early 2020s, which the German government had previously decided to slow down, combined with the Covid 19 pandemic, has caused lasting damage to the offshore wind industry in Germany, these signals are particularly important for a fresh start out of the crisis.
"The German government should keep its coalition agreement promise and launch a call for tenders at short notice for the coastal sea and for free grid capacities that would otherwise remain unused for several years. The majority of new offshore wind farms are not to be built for several years. Offshore wind can create more employment in Germany again if small and medium-sized companies in this politically regulated market are given a fair chance by then," says Heike Winkler.
"To ensure that we also achieve the long-term expansion targets set by politicians, the Federal Government should reduce the risks of implementing corresponding wind farms at sea and discuss its proposed tendering model with the industry. Contracts for differences are important not only for operators of offshore wind farms, but also from the point of view of suppliers, as they provide the necessary stability," adds the WAB Managing Director.
New impetus had previously come from the EU Commission, which in its "EU Green Deal" outlined a perspective for the offshore wind industry up to 2050. Due to the low number of new offshore wind farms being built in Germany, international cooperation is of great importance for the German offshore wind industry. Therefore, the central focus of this year's conference is on the European market.
The largest market in Europe is Great Britain. The partner country of the WINDFORCE Conference 2020 has set ambitious goals for 2030 and 2050 in terms of a progressive climate and industrial policy. "The fact that more than 80 percent of the North Sea's offshore wind generation capacity is built in German and British waters, and the increasing importance of cooperation in supply chains, maritime infrastructure and spatial planning - while the industry is preparing for more than 400 gigawatts of offshore wind in Europe, thus making the necessary contribution to a "green" recovery and to achieving climate neutrality in 2050 - motivate us to cooperate more closely than ever before with the German offshore wind industry - to the benefit of both countries! WINDFORCE offers an ideal platform for this", says Deryth Wittek, Head of Energy and Infrastructure in the Department for International Trade.
The dynamic development of floating offshore wind foundations and the possibilities of generating "green" hydrogen with wind power are also among the central topics of the upcoming WINDFORCE. In addition, there will be sessions on international markets, operating and service experience, ports and logistics.
Bremerhaven stands for innovation and production in the wind industry and as a location is ideally suited for the combination of wind and 'green' hydrogen, both in research and in industrial application," says Torsten von Haaren, Mayor of the Bremerhaven's city council.
Confirmed speakers or moderators:
Philippe Kavafayan (MHI Vestas Offshore Wind), Giles Dickson (WindEurope), Dr. Maike Schaefer (Bremen’s Environmental Senate), Kenan Poleo (DIT), Dr. Stephen Wyatt (ORE Catapult), Olaf Lies (Ministry of Environment Lower Saxony), Tim Meyerjürgens (TenneT), Heike Winkler (WAB e.V.), Irina Lucke (WAB e.V.), Torsten von Haaren (Bremerhaven City Council), Eize de Vries (Windpower Monthly), Matthias Zelinger (VDMA Power Systems), Wolfgang Lemb (IG Metall), Markus Lesser (PNE), Nils Schnorrenberger (BIS), Ilona Dickschas (Siemens Energy), Martin Volker Gerhardt (Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy), Hanif Mashal (LM Wind Power), Stephan Wrage (Sky Sails), Stefan Thimm (BWO), Prof. Dr Martin Skiba (World Forum Offshore Wind), Eddie Doornbos (Northern Netherlands Offshore Wind, NNOW), Achim Berge Olsen (WPD), Jens Assheuer (WindMW), Dirk Güsewell (EnBW), Manfred Dittmer (PARKWIND), Dr Jennifer Dannheim (Alfred Wegener Institute), Jean Huby (Ocean Breeze Energy), Niels Erdmann (Deutsche Windguard), Deryth Wittek (DIT), Karl John (Department for International Trade), Paul O'Brien (DeepWind, North of Scotland Offshore Wind Cluster), Sascha Wiesner (Global Marine Group), David Few (Innogy), Oliver Freiland (Heli Service International), Michael Munder-Oschimek (Wind Multiplier), Matthias Brandt (German Wind Technology), Robert Hörmann (Aero Enterprise), Urs Wahl, Jens Krieger (Bachmann Monitoring), Guido Van den Belt (Energy Asset Management), Claus Sejersen (REETEC), Dr. Ralf Hubo (Steelwind Nordenham), Hendrik Müller (Helmut Müller), Mareike Leimeister (Fraunhofer IWES), Andreas Lammers (Vallourec), Christoph Ruck (LOC Germany), Nils Hinzmann (TU Braunschweig), Jörg Engicht (Tractebel DOC), Felix Baierlein (TenneT), Dr. Julian Engelbert (Amprion), Andy Lloyd (Global Marine Group), Thomas Pontow (B. Offshore), Andreas Wagner (Offshore Wind Energy Foundation), Randy Tinkerman (Wind Power Management), Jérôme Guillet (Green Giraffe), Dr. Martin P. Lögering (Lebuhn & Puchta), Dr. Carmen Schneider (Chatham Partners), Dr. Christine Bade (Watson Farley & Williams), Dr. Nicolai Herrmann (Enervis Energy Advisors), Marc Itgen (Cuxhaven Economic Development), Dirk Leibfried (Lower Saxony Ports), Thomas van der Laan (Windea Eemshaven), Dr Claudius Noack (Lufthansa Industry Solutions), Patrick Junkers (Hytorc), Jérôme Lacroix (Tesucon BV), Dr. Frank Prenger (Grillo-Werke AG), Hellmut Dürr (Wind Power Film Technology), Tom Marquardt (Muehlhan AG), Dr. Marcus Stuhlert (Plarad - Maschinenfabrik Wagner), Claas Schott (H2BX), Dr. Friedrich Kunz (TenneT), Dr. Johannes Trost (Lebuhn & Puchta), Nora Denecke (Fraunhofer IWES), Prof. Dr. Carsten Fichter (EnergieSynergie), Dirk Briese (wind:research), Hans-Dieter Sohn (WAB e.V.)
... in addition, there will be many other exciting speakers, who, due to Covid-19 or other reasons, could not yet make a definite commitment, but hopefully will become part of this year's "class reunion" of the offshore wind Industry.
The conference is supported by:
- Bremerhavener Gesellschaft für Investitionsförderung und Stadtentwicklung mbH
- Department for International Trade
- Deutsche Windtechnik
- DOC Offshore
- EWE
- Green Giraffe
- Hansa Flex
- Helmut Müller GmbH
- NW Assekuranz
- PNE
- RWE
- Steelwind
- TenneT
- WindMW
- wpd
Pictures:
Group: © WAB | Offshore: © Trianel Windpark Borkum II | Press conference: © WAB
WINDFORCE and Covid-19
"With Bremerhaven’s civic centre we have chosen a much larger location for WINDFORCE this year, where we can comply with all current distance rules. We are working in coordination with the civic centre and the local authorities on a hygiene concept, which we will continuously supplement, refine and update in the coming weeks", says Heike Winkler. "As all WAB events since the outbreak of the Corona pandemic had to be postponed or cancelled or took place online, the entire WAB team is looking forward – with all due caution – to meeting and getting to know top-class speakers and other friends of offshore wind energy.
Pictures:
Group: © WAB
Offshore: © Trianel Windpark Borkum II
About WAB e.V.:
Bremerhaven-based WAB is the nationwide contact partner for the offshore wind industry in Germany and the leading business network for onshore wind energy in the north-west region. The association fosters the production of “green” hydrogen from wind energy. It comprises some 250 smaller and larger businesses as well as institutes from all sectors of the wind industry, the maritime industry as well as research.
Contact:
Hans-Dieter Sohn | Senior Communications and Marketing Manager WAB e.V. | +49 173 2382802 | hans.sohn@wab.net
