Wind energy as the cornerstone of Europe's energy future From Hamburg to the World: EEHH at the German Pavilion during the WindEurope in Copenhagen

In 2025, the WindEurope Annual Conference returned to the birthplace of wind energy. High-ranking politicians, leading companies and international industry associations spent three days discussing the future of the European wind industry in Copenhagen. The EEHH Cluster Agency staged an exhibition in the German Pavilion together with 18 other German companies. More than 16,000 people attended Europe's most important wind conference.

Wind energy at the heart of European competitiveness

The future of European energy should be secure, independent and affordable. Industry and politics both agree on this fact. Faced with geopolitical change and sluggish expansion, the European Wind Energy Association formulated a clear call (‘Copenhagen Call to Action’) to politicians to strengthen Europe's future viability through the expansion of wind energy.

This would require the EU and Member States to apply the new EU authorisation procedure, implement the EU Clean Industrial Deal quickly and ensure a stable project pipeline with bilateral Contracts for Difference (CfDs). The industrial sector sees these things as a great opportunity to promote the European clean-tech supply chain, accelerate electrification – also in energy-intensive industries such as steel production – and create more predictability and security for investment.

According to WindEurope statistics, wind energy is set to become the most important source of electricity generation from 2030. It follows, therefore, that the expansion of wind energy is a cornerstone of the energy transition and is driving the green transformation and decarbonisation of the entire European economy as well.

Regional cooperation essential for expanding offshore wind

A new offshore wind deal was also proposed at the same time in Copenhagen. The offshore industry's call to action basically sets out two measures:

·         the total tender volume of 100 GW should be scheduled and distributed evenly with 10 GW per year in the period 2031-2040.

·         Tendering 100 GW over ten years should be organised using contracts for difference.

From an industry perspective, this would lay the foundation for a sustainable offshore wind industry. An annual installation of 15 GW is expected by 2030 as a result of additional capacities created through power purchase agreements (PPAs). In return for the call to action, the industry promises to make investments along the value chain and ensure a 30% reduction in electricity costs by 2040.

The European offshore wind industry is currently grappling with particular challenges, including high investment costs, heavy dependence on Chinese suppliers and price-driven tenders. In order to strengthen a domestic and competitive offshore wind industry and mitigate risks, European countries need a harmonised approach to the planning and implementation of offshore projects and relevant infrastructure.

The Lion Link project is a prime example of how regional cooperation can transform the North Sea into an integrated offshore energy system. The Dutch transmission system operator Tennet is planning to build a multi-purpose interconnector (‘Lion Link’) in the North Sea with its British project partner. This infrastructure is the first of its kind for both countries and is intended to enable cross-border transmission and trading of offshore electricity. Lion Link will be connected to a 2 GW offshore wind farm and put into operation in 2030.

Conclusion

The 2025 WindEurope Annual Conference was an extremely successful event. From auction design and financing to the supply chain, the to-do list is long. European governments and companies are aware of this and are keen to cooperate on developing a positive outlook for the industry.

Hamburg again put in a strong showing as Germany’s offshore capital. On the big stage, top managers from leading offshore companies such as Sven Utermöhlen, RWE, and Marc Becker, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, provided inspirational thoughts and opinions, while EEHH members such as 8.2, JBO, Kodiak and Windea held numerous discussions with potential business partners at the stand. With 19 co-exhibitors, the German Pavilion at Wind Europe 2025 was one of the largest of its kind to date.

As always, the Renewable Energy Hamburg Cluster Agency seized the opportunity to learn more about industry trends and expand its networks with other European energy clusters. There was keen interest in Hamburg, particularly from the Baltic states.