WindEnergy Hamburg – The global on- & offshore expo at the Hamburg Fair site from 23 to 26 September 2014
Hamburg, 1 July 2014/ WEHH-UK
WindEnergy Hamburg will be held from 23 to 26 September, attracting energy experts from all parts of the world. Some 1,000 exhibitors from the global wind industry will present their innovations, new technologies and services on the four days of the expo. This new leading international fair reflects the whole of the value chain, onshore and offshore. The premiere event in Hamburg will include many exhibitors from the UK, plus a national pavilion featuring many more British companies. The British trade and investment organisation UKTI, in association with renewableUK and EIC, supports WindEnergy Hamburg 2014 by hosting a range of activities during the event including receptions, topical forums and an interactive business hub at the UK Pavilion in the exhibition hall.
The United Kingdom enjoys one of Europe’s best onshore and offshore wind resources, and it has the ambition to becoming the world’s offshore wind industry leader. According to statistics of renewableUK, the UK’s renewable energy trade association, 1,075 offshore turbines with a total capacity of 3,653 MW were operational in UK waters in June 2014. The country’s Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) observed in a 2013 publication called ‘Pump up the volume’ that all these operational offshore turbines were manufactured elsewhere, concluding: “[…]. Nonetheless, levels of UK content will need to increase in order to realize the economic benefits of the sector in terms of jobs and growth and to maintain political commitment.”
WindEnergy Hamburg exhibitors from the UK include companies active in ‘traditional’ focus areas technology development and specialised consultancy support like drivetrain specialist Romax Technology, and (engineering) consultancy firms Ricardo, Sgurr Energy, and DNV GL. Major installation and maintenance contractors MPI Offshore and Seajacks International will inform visitors to WindEnergy Hamburg about their latest vessel fleets, capabilities and service offerings. This June, Seajacks took delivery of its fourth self-propelled jack-up vessel, the Seajacks Hydra. The company will explain about all-year-round North Sea operation made possible with these new vessels, including strategies for achieving the highest levels of operating up-time. Delivery of the even larger Seajacks Scylla jack-up is planned for 2015.
WindEnergy Hamburg 2014 is also attracting other highly specialised firms like Dynasafe Group, which has specialized in a rather new business field, the clearing of unexploded WWII ordnance at proposed offshore wind farm sites. Another example is Fugro GeoConsulting, a market leader in geo-hazard assessment and geotechnical analysis, while Campbell Scientific will display their latest advances in long-term measuring and monitoring equipment and support.
Hamburg exhibitor Siemens is the first company to make a major investment that will boost the much-desired manufacturing sector. The German engineering giant will establish a nacelle assembly facility and rotor blade manufacturing facility for 6MW SWT-6.0-154 offshore turbines in the Humber river region in East Yorkshire. Tata Steel also manufactures steel components for offshore foundations in the same region, and supplies steel for the UK offshore industry. The two Siemens facilities together create directly around 1,000 UK jobs and 2-4 times the number in indirect service-related and supply chain type jobs. Tony Flinn, CEO of Humber Renewables, a supply chain promotion organisation and exhibitor at WindEnergy Hamburg, said “Our region offers specific benefits to the offshore wind industry, including adequate port facilities and transport-logistics, a skilled workforce, and relatively short distances from port to major offshore wind farm projects.”
