Premiere after the mandatory pandemic break, visit from the Federal Minister of Economics, hope in the gas crisis: The wind industry should not have any self-doubt when it gathers again in Hamburg from this Tuesday.
Times are good, as energy security, sustainability and stability of an industrial future branch are beyond doubt as goals.
On the one hand.
On the other hand, the obstacles are still great, debates about minimum distances to wind turbines, about nature or monument protection are still lively.
The industry meets at a time when it is in demand like never before, but still does not see itself on the safe side.
The wind comes from all sides, so to speak.
Uwe Marx
Editor in Business.
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Christian Muessgens
Business correspondent in Hamburg.
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Project planners, financiers, suppliers, manufacturers, operators and service providers who are exhibiting at the leading global trade fair Wind Energy have one thing in common above all: the hope for the fastest possible expansion of renewable energies in large quantities - with wind energy in the front row.
In terms of security of supply, climate neutrality - and of course the companies.
The mixture of tailwind and headwind is particularly evident there.
One problem is that local manufacturers are downright drained financially after the long slump in recent years.
Complex approval procedures, complaints from residents and other obstacles had almost brought expansion in Germany to a standstill, and projects are still starting far too slowly.
Especially when it comes to expansion on land, not at sea.
"The special boom may come in two years," said the boss of the turbine manufacturer Enercon, Jürgen Zeschky, recently in the FAZ with all caution.
"At the moment we are still in a difficult situation."
"In order to achieve the goals, the wind industry needs more locations"
Against this background, Enercon received around 500 million euros from the Corona Aid Fund WSF in June, also because parts were missing in the global supply chain crisis and around 130 wind turbines could not be delivered.
That didn't sound good.
On the other hand, Enercon is presenting its new top model in Hamburg, a turbine with a rotor diameter of 175 meters and an output of 6 megawatts – something the company has never achieved before.
The turbine is to become the new flagship of the Frisians.
It is this alternation of setbacks and new beginnings that characterizes the industry.
The competitor Nordex from Hamburg recently needed fresh money to increase its thinned equity ratio.
In June, the major Spanish shareholder Acciona gave 139 million euros by way of a private placement.
A further capital increase with subscription rights for all shareholders followed in July, through which a further EUR 212 million flowed into the company.
The market development is "remains demanding", was how company boss José Luis Blanco summarized the situation during the presentation of his half-year report.
Basically, no company can escape this assessment.
This also applies to Vestas from Denmark, one of the largest manufacturers of wind turbines in the world.
This colossus of the industry also has an impressive wish list.
Morten Dyrholm, the company's senior vice president, says: “To meet the European and global targets, the wind industry needs more locations, faster permitting processes and significant infrastructure investments in transport and logistics for onshore and offshore wind power, grids and hydrogen. It must be possible to overcome all obstacles, at global, European, national, state and local levels.
There is certainly no lack of resistance in the industry.
Desired independence from Russia brings new impetus
The fact that the IG Metall trade union has called on Vestas Germany employees to go on a warning strike this Tuesday – the fourth in recent times – fits the bill.
Around 1,700 employees nationwide are to stop working full-time for the first time because the company refuses to negotiate a collective agreement, as the union announced.
On the first day of the fair and just in time for the visit and tour of the fair by Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens), the Danes will have to make do with less good news.
Distraction allowed a look at the global prospects specifically for offshore wind turbines.
According to figures from the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), wind turbines with a total installed capacity of 21.1 gigawatts were connected to the grid here last year.
This is a record for the industry and triples the total capacity compared to 2020. As a result, the world had 56 gigawatts of offshore capacity at the end of the year, seven percent of the total installed wind energy capacity.
This trend is fueled, among other things, by the fact that the challenges at sea are primarily technical and less political.
And it is reflected at the Hamburg wind energy fair.
Around 45 percent of the nearly 1,400 exhibitors will offer products or services for offshore wind farms.
The GWEC expects an increase in new offshore capacity of more than 315 gigawatts by 2031. Almost 30 percent of the newly created plants should be in operation from 2026 onwards.
Floating wind turbines are also believed to be capable of an upswing, but at a much lower level: Here we are talking about a total of almost 19 gigawatts by 2030. It is possible, however, that these long-term forecasts will soon have to be corrected – upwards.
The Ukraine war and the EU's goal of complete independence from Russian gas and oil could push the numbers up even further.