Bremerhaven in focus on wind energy: Conference urges quick action!

Bremerhaven in focus on wind energy: Conference urges quick action!

At the important Windforce conference taking place in Bremerhaven, around 270 experts from the wind industry gathered today to discuss the future of offshore expansion in Germany. The event, which is considered a central meeting point for the industry, attracts not only national experts but also international participants, particularly from the Netherlands. The importance of this location for offshore wind energy is more than clear, as Bremerhaven is seen as the heart of the maritime energy transition. Buten and inland reports that the planned energy port in Bremerhaven is considered essential for Germany's energy security.

Offshore wind energy is not only an important topic for experts, but also for society as a whole. Jens Assheuer, CEO of the Wind Energy and Hydrogen Association, emphasizes the need for more planning security for the construction of offshore wind farms. In order to achieve the set goals, the infrastructure must be expanded, including additional port areas. Germany plans to double its offshore wind capacity by 2030, which is certainly an ambitious undertaking.

Technological advances and expansion goals

Technical development in offshore wind energy is progressing impressively. Like that Federal Environment Agency explains, the performance of the systems has tripled in the last 15 years. The first German wind farm “Alpha Ventus”, which went into operation in 2010, was a revolutionary installation with its 5 MW wind turbines. Companies can currently look forward to the first 15 MW wind turbines in 2025, which will be equipped with impressive rotor diameters of over 200 meters.

These enormous machines produce as much energy in less than 30 minutes as a modern single-family home uses in a whole year. In addition, the plans for German waters are far-reaching: experts expect wind turbines with an incredible capacity of over 20 MW in the 2030s. In the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), these systems can be installed up to 200 nautical miles from the coast, opening up new prospects for energy production.

Challenges and opportunities

But there are also challenges: the EEZ is small compared to other countries, which can give rise to conflicts of use, for example with shipping, fishing and nature conservation. The expansion of wind energy is set out in the “Spatial Planning Plan for the German EEZ”. There is already a detailed “area development plan for the German North Sea and Baltic Sea”.

Another important topic at the Windforce conference is the need for multiple use of areas in order to meet the challenges. Hybrid energy generation with floating PV systems on wind energy areas could represent an interesting solution to increase energy yields.

Overall, the conference shows the dynamic potential of wind energy in Germany, as well as the challenges that need to be overcome. The industry is on an extremely important development path and it remains to be seen how the general conditions will continue to develop. Windforce 2025 and other initiatives promise to address the contradiction between ambitious goals and the reality on the ground and find solutions that benefit both the environment and people.