India: potential for renewable energies Hamburg’s Lord Mayor travels to Delhi and Mumbai with business delegation

Upswing versus poverty; IT paradise versus power outages - India is characterised by contrasts but also an enormous economic potential. In late October, a twenty-strong business delegation led by Hamburg's Lord Mayor Olaf Scholz travelled to Delhi and Mumbai to deepen economic relations. Also on board: Jan Rispens, managing director of Renewable Energy Hamburg. The renewable energy and port industries were the focus of discussions.

"We want to communicate that Hamburg has a uniquely beneficial concentration of companies in the renewable energy sector. In particular, this includes many wind energy companies," said Jan Rispens. Since India's energy needs will increase significantly due to its growing population, Germany as pioneer of the energy transition could supply relevant technology and project expertise. In 2011, about 3,000 MW of wind turbine capacity went online in India. On his search for Indian business partners, Michael Westhagemann, Chairman of the Association for the Promotion of the Renewable Energy Hamburg Cluster and CEO of Siemens AG, Region Nord, said: "We were quick to realise that we would meet again. The topics will be set by the end of the year."

The programme of Hamburg's delegation included, for example, visits paid to the Indian Minister for Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah, and Tulsi R. Tanti, owner of Suzlon AG, sole shareholders of the Hamburg-based company Repower SE. Besides representatives of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, the delegation also included representatives of Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH, the Hamburg Port Authority, Vattenfall GmbH and TÜV Nord.