WindEnergy Hamburg: Focus on digital transformation

Boosting the efficiency of production processes, data analyses and simulations for project development plus artificial intelligence to control maintenance and repairs: Held in the Hamburg Messe und Congress exhibition centre from 24 to 27 September 2024, WindEnergy Hamburg, the world’s leading trade fair in the sector, will showcase how digitalisation is taking the wind energy industry to the next level. Companies will also present the wide range of potential applications for artificial intelligence at the new AI CENTER.

Digital transformation is gathering pace in the wind sector. From monitoring and controlling wind farms to forecasting energy generation and maintenance requirements: Companies are increasingly reliant on intelligent sensors, big data analyses and artificial intelligence to run their installations more efficiently and minimise downtimes. Custom software solutions boost efficiency and help to cut costs.

“Monitoring rotor blade wear or predictive turbine maintenance are prime examples for the benefits of digitalisation,” says Claus Ulrich Selbach, Business Unit Director Maritime and Technology Fairs. After all, turbine manufacturers generate a third of their revenue through service and maintenance. “Reliable predictions about the condition or wear of turbines and components improve system availability, ensuring purposeful deployment in an age in which specialist staff are thin on the ground”. Exhibitors will use the world’s leading trade fair in Hamburg from 24 to 27 September 2024 to showcase their innovations for digital transformation.

Virtual model of reality
Digital twins play a vital role in the work of wind turbine manufacturers. Aerodynamics, acoustics, energy management: Digital images of wind turbines enable the capture of all processes in a data model. “What we are seeking to create with digital twins is a precise digital model of the entire wind farm, which we can use to run scenarios,” says Greg Oxley, Lead Data Scientist at Siemens Gamesa. The simulation helps to optimise the systems prior to deployment – and cuts the significant costs of live testing. Performance data from live operation can be incorporated into development – adding to the process of continuous turbine improvement.

The positive outcomes are already visible, reports Michael Sandholm Jepsen, Technical Authority Support Structure Integrity at Vattenfall: “Our digital twins have yielded evidence that wind turbine wear is lower than predicted in the original designs. We must utilise this information proactively as it will enable the safe and cost-optimised extension of the service lives of current wind farms, while streamlining the future designs of new ones”. Aside from Vattenfall and Siemens Gamesa, the classification society DNV and the wind turbine manufacturer Vestas will also present their digital twin solutions at WindEnergy Hamburg in September.

AI CENTER: Changing the game with artificial intelligence
This year’s WindEnergy Hamburg will provide even more space for artificial intelligence (AI): Trade visitors to the AI CENTER, which was designed in collaboration with the AI.HAMBURG team, can learn more about the potential of AI-based solutions. “Improving the management of turbine operations, wind farms and the power grid as a whole hinges increasingly on the ability to capture and manage data,” says Ragnar Kruse, Co-Founder and CEO of AI.HAMBURG. “Today, digital transformation – also within wind energy – would be nothing without AI”.

Other companies, such as the British software provider Kavaken, are also on board. “Our innovative platform changes the way renewable energy assets are operated, financed and insured – making asset management effortless and efficient,” says Co-Founder and CEO Tokyay Bora. In turn, the wind energy experts at MesH Engineering provide innovative applications that help companies to develop ever larger wind turbines and components. Interested visitors can view these and other promising ideas in the AI CENTER at WindEnergy Hamburg. There’s no question: “The use of artificial intelligence and automation in the wind industry is revolutionising energy generation,” states the German Wind Energy Association (BWE).

Storage tour: Unleashing the power

New turbines and repowering are leading to a continuous rise in energy production. Not only does this require intelligent feed-in management, it also demands innovative and high-performance storage technologies. They are the key to energy supply in the future. WindEnergy Hamburg will feature a ‘Storage Tour’ for exhibitors operating in this area. “The tour will highlight their significance – and help visitors to locate the companies faster,” says Claus Ulrich Selbach. Avacon, GP Joule and OAT are among the exhibitors.

About WindEnergy Hamburg
One of the most exciting industries gathers at the world's leading networking hub for wind energy every two years: Held in the centre of the vibrant Hanseatic city, more than 1,500 companies from 40 countries use WindEnergy Hamburg to present their innovations and solutions to up to 40,000 visitors from 100 nations in ten exhibition halls. System manufacturers and suppliers from the entire value chain of onshore and offshore wind energy will provide a detailed market overview across an area of 75,000 square metres. Accompanying the trade fair are conference sessions with high-profile participants on all priority issues moving the market. The WindEnergy Hamburg team is organising this programme together with its partners, including the global wind energy association GWEC, the European association WindEurope and the national associations VDMA and BWE, as well as leading media and companies in the sector. Visitors are invited to attend all sessions offered, free of charge, on five open stages directly in the exhibition halls from 24 to 27 September 2024.