Offshore wind energy in the context of a European energy revolution Top class delegation accompanies the Dutch royal couple

How can the development in the offshore wind sector be promoted in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands? Answering this question was the aim of a top level delegation, who visited Hamburg and Schleswig Holstein under the leadership of the Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima.

Around 200 experts in the offshore sector from the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark gathered in the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce to discuss the importance of offshore wind energy for the European Energy supply in the future. The question of how to lower the cost of offshore wind energy by increased international cooperation was also a focal issue. All participants in the panel discussion agreed on the importance of cost reduction, stating that the requirement is a sufficiently large market volume in Europe in order to achieve cost reduction by means of learning and economies of scale. The Vattenfall project "Horns Rev 3" just off the Danish coast, providing a remuneration of 10.3 Cent per kilowatt hour for a maximum duration of 12 years, was cited as an impressive example for cost reduction.

 

Afterwards, the First Mayor of Hamburg, Olaf Scholz, received the King and Queen of the Netherlands and accompanied them to an exhibition with eleven exhibits by offshore companies from Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Denmark and the Netherlands. During the royal visit, the consortium for the planned “NordLink” cable, whose members include Tennet, KfW and Stattnet, signed a comprehensive supply contract with ABB for high voltage direct-current transmission technology. At the end of the decade, the 623 km long cable shall connect Germany and Norway so that the North German wind energy region is better connected to Norwegian hydroelectric power.

In regard to the integration of the European electricity market, Lex Hartmann, member of TenneT management emphasised, “This interconnector allows the exchange of energy between two complementing energy systems. On the one side is the increased volume of wind and solar power generated in Germany and on the other side is the generation of energy from hydroelectric power in Norway. NordLink as connection with European relevance benefits all countries, above all North Western Europe.”

The Renewable Energy Hamburg Cluster with many of its member companies was significantly involved in compiling the program as a partner of the Dutch Embassy and the foreign office.