WindEnergy Hamburg 2022 | Day 1

Rarely if ever has an industry event opened its doors against a backdrop of such epic challenges and opportunities as those facing global wind power as it gathers for WindEnergy Hamburg, the world’s largest exhibition and conference for the onshore and offshore sector which begins today.

Challenges set to be high on the agenda in Germany include wind’s ongoing battle to speed up planning and consenting for projects, continuing pressure on profitability of supply chain companies and the relentless need for innovation to drive power production up and costs down.

But what about those opportunities? With wind power now slated to play a crucial role not just in saving the planet from climate change but also in the post-Ukraine world of national energy independence, governments are crying out for more capacity, fast – which, of course, itself raises fresh challenges to overcome.

Recharge, the official event news partner for WindEnergy Hamburg, will bring you the latest must-read editorial coverage all week on Recharge Live, and keep an eye out for our daily e-newsletters rounding up the action from Germany.

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EXCLUSIVE | German negative bidding rule 'worst possible outcome for offshore wind': Vattenfall chief

Negative bidding of the type approved under new German rules governing turbine development at sea “is the worst possible outcome for the industry”, Catrin Jung, offshore wind chief executive of Swedish utility Vattenfall told Recharge.

'A lot of Enercon DNA' | Wind turbine maker takes wraps off long-bladed 6MW model

German manufacturer Enercon has unveiled a new 6MW onshore wind turbine for low- and medium-speed wind sites flying 86-metre-long blades – the OEM's longest-ever design.

New-look offshore wind construction concept floated to uncork looming US bottleneck

An innovative offshore wind farm construction concept has been launched today (Monday) by ONP Management and Renewable Resources International (RRI) to help answer the looming installation vessel bottleneck being faced by developers building the first gigawatts of projects in the US Atlantic.

'Much needed step' | Floating wind-fuelled hydrogen pilot ready to deliver off France

The world’s first offshore wind-powered hydrogen production unit is set to be launched off France following tests on land by the technology’s developer Lhyfe.

'Largest wind project in Poland' | Northland and PKN pick Vestas for gigascale Baltic Sea array

Canadian utility Northland Power and Polish refiner PKN Orlen have chosen Vestas as preferred supplier for their joint 1.2GW Baltic Power offshore wind project in Poland.

Tower 'weak points' to blame for German wind turbine collapse: Nordex probe

The collapse of a wind turbine in Germany was caused by weaknesses in its concrete-steel hybrid tower, manufacturer Nordex said.

Chinese turbine maker Mingyang in UK floating wind breakthrough deal with Hexicon

Chinese OEM Mingyang Smart Energy has been tapped by floating wind developer Hexicon to supply turbines for its flagship project off the UK.

IN DEPTH | Can America's landmark climate law bridge the Gulf of Mexico's offshore wind gap?

Hailed as a monumental achievement that could reset the US energy transition, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) recently signed into law is the largest investment in renewable energy ever by the country, with $369bn in in subsidies and incentives aimed at launching the country towards its 50-52% emissions reductions by 2030 target.