Hamburg has developed into Europe’s wind energy capital. It has attracted leading manufacturers and component suppliers, and other companies involved in the wind industry to settle in this international port and trading city. These companies are playing a major part in implementing Germany’s energy transformation. The international energy markets are watching Germany’s progress very carefully as the world’s first mover in the energy policy turnaround aims to lead the field in new technologies. From 2014 onwards, the onshore and offshore wind industry will be meeting at the international exhibition WindEnergy Hamburg, to present innovations and play a part in shaping the future of the industry. “The specialist fair for the wind industry, in Europe’s major wind industry city – a convincing concept,” says Bernd Aufderheide, President and CEO of Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH (HMC). This new industry event will be held for the first time from 23 to 26 September 2014, and many of the leading companies from the wind industry and offshore sector have already registered.
New industry fair meets with great interest
More than two years before the start of the event, several thousand square metres of exhibition space are already booked for WindEnergy Hamburg 2014. “We have received bookings from companies from all parts of the value chain, including leading representatives of the industry,” says Bernd Aufderheide. “For example, Siemens, GE, REpower and Nordex are supporting the new event in Hamburg right from the start.” The growing importance of wind power had caused many of the leading players in the industry to call for the industry’s major international event to be held in Hamburg, the European wind capital, in 2014. “We regard WindEnergy Hamburg as a key pacemaker for the whole of the wind industry,” says Dr. Felix Ferlemann, CEO Siemens Wind Power. “That is why we, as the leading supplier for offshore wind energy systems, are playing an active part in setting up this platform.” REpower Systems likewise supports WindEnergy Hamburg, as confirmed by Andreas Nauen, its CEO – “We can showcase our onshore and offshore expertise under one roof here. REpower sees Hamburg as the location of the future. We want to be there from the start of the event in 2014, when WindEnergy together with the City of Hamburg will be the gateway to the world of wind power.”
Many more companies will be present at WindEnergy Hamburg; alongside Siemens Wind Power, REpower Systems, Nordex and GE Energy, already mentioned, there will also be Gamesa, Winergy, DONG Energy and Alstom, and major component suppliers such as Bosch Rexroth, ZF and Eickhoff. The exhibition concept in Hamburg was developed together with the industry association VDMA Power Systems, and has the support of many of the VDMA’s member companies. The association’s main concern is to secure and expand the international specialist exhibition for the wind industry at a location in Germany, on a long-term basis.
