Useful insights from WindEurope Annual Event 2025

The opening day went straight to the point: if Europe wants to achieve its climate goals, it needs to roll out wind energy much faster and smarter. Kadri Simson, EU Commissioner for Energy from 2019 to 2024, stressed that the EU may have ambitious plans, but that implementation is lagging behind.

Ministers from Denmark, Spain and Germany, among others, joined in and pointed out the bottlenecks: slow permitting, lagging grid capacity, and an industry under pressure. The message was clear: we don’t lack vision, but we lack decisiveness.

Call to Action

In the second part of the opening session, the wind energy sector launched the Copenhagen Call to Action, which outlines three specific steps to boost Europe's energy independence and competitiveness. 

The three recommended measures are:

1. Swift implementation of new EU licensing rules, so that more wind energy projects can be realised faster.
2. Removing barriers to electrification, including through state support for renewable Power Purchase Agreements.
3. Reducing investment risks through a stable stream of two-sided Contracts for Difference (CfD) auctions, which provide predictable revenues and lower capital costs.

This call comes at a critical time in a period of unprecedented economic uncertainty and is in line with the EU’s new Clean Industrial Deal, which puts electrification and the accelerated roll-out of renewables at the heart of European industrial policy.

While wind energy currently accounts for 20% of Europe’s electricity consumption, the EU aims for 35% by 2030 and more than 50% by 2050. Wind energy is seen as a local and stable energy source that contributes to energy security and reducing dependency on fossil fuels.

The European wind industry is currently investing more than €11 billion in new production capacity. However, construction of new wind farms is lagging behind due to slow permitting procedures, insufficient grid infrastructure, ineffective auction mechanisms and limited electrification.

Henrik Andersen, CEO of Vestas and Chairman of WindEurope, stressed that Europe is in a transition phase and that scaling up wind energy is necessary for sustainable, affordable and secure energy supply. He said the Copenhagen meeting is an important opportunity for governments and industry to jointly take concrete steps. 

Panel discussion

During the subsequent panel discussion, Duncan Clark, Head of R&D Europe at Ørsted, stated that wind energy is currently facing challenges on several fronts. He believes there is an urgent need to remove existing barriers to the process. He also stressed the need to accelerate and reduce risk.

According to Clark, the past five years have been a testing period in Europe, in which different types and forms of tenders and incentives have been tested. Countries that focused on actually realising projects and reducing investment risks, such as the UK and Poland, have been most successful.

It was also emphasised that electrification needs to be accelerated to stimulate demand for renewable energy and reduce bottlenecks in the supply chain.

Javier Rodriguez Diez, Vice President at Vestas, added that both governments and industry need to urgently address the known problems with grid permitting and investment. It is a waste of resources to block grid system optimisation projects year after year.

Conclusion: 
There is an urgent need for reliable and established procurement procedures, clear regulations and appropriate financial instruments to keep planned projects feasible.

Offshore wind energy is crucial for achieving the 2030 climate goals, but now requires clear policy choices and better coordination between countries and grid operators.

The ministerial session at the start of day 2 focused on strengthening Europe’s competitiveness by putting wind energy at the heart of energy policy. As Europe continues to focus on the energy transition, the importance of strengthening the wind sector was emphasised not only from an environmental perspective, but also from an economic and strategic perspective.

Europe’s competitiveness and sustainability ambitions

The session was opened by Margrethe Vestager, EU Commissioner for Competition, who underlined the need for a stronger European industry in green technologies such as wind energy. According to Vestager, Europe must not only be the global leader in sustainable energy, but also the global leader in the production of the technologies that enable this transition.

She warns that if Europe leaves the production of wind turbines, batteries and other renewable technologies to other regions, such as Asia and the US, the economic benefits for the region would be lost.

Vestager also proposed the creation of a ‘European Wind Industrial Deal’, which would allow Europe to focus more on developing the necessary industrial infrastructure for wind energy. This would include measures to support local production, simplify tenders and improve access to risk capital for both large companies and SMEs in the sector.

The need for European industry and local production

The discussion continued with Christian Maaß, State Secretary of Germany, who stressed the importance for Europe not to be dependent on other markets for the production of wind turbines and their components. Germany is already working on plans to increase the production capacity of wind energy components, and Maaß proposed setting up a European collaboration to support innovation and production of wind technologies.

Christian Maaß: “We need to ensure that Europe doesn’t just buy clean tech, but builds it. We need to create the jobs and supply chains here in Europe.” Paula Pinho, Director of the European Commission’s DG Energy, added that the European Green Deal and the recovery plans after the COVID-19 crisis offer a great opportunity to strengthen the industry. She proposed creating a kind of ‘Clean Tech Alliance’, which would foster cooperation between Member States and companies so that the necessary infrastructure can be rolled out quickly.

Cross-border cooperation and investment

The subsequent panel debate made it clear that Europe’s energy infrastructure needs to be strengthened not only to support renewable energy generation, but also to maintain a competitive industry. Sven Utermöhlen, CEO of RWE Offshore, stressed that companies cannot invest in innovation and growth without certainty about policy and market conditions.

There was a call for stronger European cooperation in infrastructure development, in particular in the area of ​​grid connections between countries. This would not only facilitate the production of wind energy, but also ensure lower costs through economies of scale. A coordinated approach to grid management, for example through a joint commitment to offshore systems, was also mentioned as a key priority.

Innovation and technology

The panel also placed great emphasis on the importance of innovation. Jan Kjaersgaard, CEO of GE Vernova Onshore Wind, indicated that it is important for Europe to maintain its technological lead by further investing in R&D for wind technologies and digital innovations. Strengthening European innovation capacity can not only contribute to lower costs for wind energy, but also position Europe as a global technology centre.

Conclusions and policy recommendations

Giles Dickson, CEO of WindEurope, concluded with a strong call to view Europe’s economic benefits from wind energy not only in terms of climate impacts, but also in terms of economic and industrial gains. Wind energy can be a key driver of European competitiveness, but only if the right framework conditions and policy measures are in place:

• European cooperation: Enhanced cooperation between Member States to ensure a coordinated approach to infrastructure, procurement and networks.
• Better support for industry: Creating a ‘European Wind Industrial Deal’ that enables companies to invest in local production capacity and improves access to risk capital.
• Fostering innovation: Investing in research and development of new technologies and further developing a knowledge and innovation hub in Europe.
• Stability of the investment climate: Creating a predictable and stable policy for investors, so that they have confidence to invest in the European wind sector in the long term.

The third and final day of the WindEurope Annual Event was entirely dedicated to offshore wind energy. While this industry has long been considered the flagship of Europe’s energy transition, the tone has become considerably more realistic in recent months. Delays, cost increases and stranded tenders are causing unrest in the sector. At the same time, the urgency remains high: offshore wind must triple by 2030 if Europe wants to achieve its climate goals.

During the panel debate, Dan Jørgensen, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, and government representatives from countries including the UK, the Netherlands and Norway, discussed the central question with CEOs of leading offshore developers: how do we get offshore wind back on track?

The financial reality

One of the major issues is the financial feasibility of projects. In recent years, tenders have been won at historically low subsidy rates. However, inflation, rising interest rates and high material costs have made many of these business cases unprofitable. Dan Lomholt of Ørsted pointed out the danger of excessive price pressure: “The market has changed, but many governments are holding on to old tender conditions. That is not sustainable if we still want to build.”

Belén Linares (Acciona Energía) also advocated more realistic tender models in which risks are shared between government and developer, for example through price indexation or safety nets in the event of exceptional market fluctuations.

Permits and planning: slow and fragmented

Offshore wind is technically complex, but the legal process is often the biggest hurdle. Permits take years and differ greatly between Member States. This not only complicates implementation, but also investment decisions.

Norwegian State Secretary Andreas Bjelland Eriksen advocated more European coordination: “We share the same sea, but we each plan and decide at our own pace. That no longer works.” He called for a coordinated planning approach, in which countries carry out joint environmental studies and coordinate zones.

Grid capacity: the invisible bottleneck

Another recurring bottleneck is the connection to the grid. While developers are planning increasingly large offshore parks, grid operators can barely keep up with the construction of infrastructure. In some cases, turbines are literally ready to be built, but the power output to land is not assured.

Giles Dickson, CEO of WindEurope, put it bluntly: “It is absurd that we can build a park at sea faster than the cable on land. This urgently needs to change.”

Rob Jetten, the Dutch Minister for Climate and Energy, also emphasized the importance of proactive planning: “Grid development should no longer be reactive. We need to anticipate, collaborate and make European agreements about who connects what where.”

Standardisation and industrialisation of turbine technology

Instead of rushing to new and ever larger turbine models, further industrialisation of existing turbine technology is essential to reduce the costs of offshore wind energy.

Marc Becker, Head of Offshore at Siemens Gamesa, said the industry already has the technology. Siemens Gamesa has received 1,000 orders for its 14-15MW offshore wind turbine, which is unique in the industry. This high demand has prompted the standardisation of all Siemens GA factories for the production of the associated blades and nacelles. By focusing on one proven platform, production can be scaled up and made more efficient, resulting in significant cost savings- possibly even more than anticipated.

Sven Utermohlen, Head of RWE’s Offshore Wind business, also supported this view. He emphasised that large installation investments, such as pile grippers, need to be reused more often to remain economically viable. However, this can only be achieved by extending the life cycles of product and further industrialising the production process. This creates a more sustainable and cost-efficient path for the growth of offshore wind.

Security and international cooperation in the North Sea

Several panellists stressed the importance of cooperation between the wind energy sector and the defence sector to ensure the safety of offshore installations. The need for standardised protocols and joint exercises to improve readiness was also discussed.

The North Sea is increasingly becoming a geopolitical issue. It is the heart of Europe’s offshore capacity, but also the basis for new international energy connections.

The EU, the UK and Norway all emphasise the need for cooperation, despite institutional differences after Brexit.

Graham Stuart, UK Secretary of State for Energy Security, stated that cooperation in the North Sea is “not a choice, but a necessity”. He referred to the North Sea Summits (Esbjerg, Ostend) as an example of how countries can make concrete agreements on interconnectors, environmental impact and capacity sharing.

Conclusion: a sector at a crossroads
The session ended with a clear call to policymakers: if Europe is serious about offshore wind, it must also take the preconditions seriously. That means:

• realistic, predictable tenders;
• fast, uniform permitting procedures;
• coordinated grid infrastructure; and
• collaboration on the protection of critical subsea infrastructure (CUI); and
• a long-term vision that looks beyond 2030.

Aurélie Beauvais, CEO of Euroheat & Power, summed it up sharply: 'We know exactly what is needed. Now it is a matter of daring to decide. The time of non-binding promises is over.'