windcomm newsletter december edition

Transcription

1 windcomm newsletter december edition

2 Editorial 2 Editorial If it takes a long time it ought to be good! Dear readers, rarely have the coalition talks of a new government taken so long. Is this a good or a bad sign? More likely the latter: the energy section of the agreement signed by the coalition partners from the CDU/CSU and the SPD seems in part too detailed and in part too undiff erentiated. It does not strike one as a suitable framework for successful implementation of the energy transition because it leaves so many questions open. windcomm initiated the Think-Tank Energiewende Schleswig-Holstein (Energiewende = energy transition) to accompany the implementation of the energy transition during and after the coalition negotiations. In an exclusive interview with State Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Aff airs, Dr. Frank Nägele on pages 5 and 15 you can read more about the Think Tank and the new plans for furthering wind energy. Certain is the uncertainty of the market players. What they need of a new government is stable parameters. This is particularly true for the young off shore sector. Fact-fi nding trips and contacts with other companies during the off shore conference OBMC organised by windcomm and the EWEA Off shore conference in Frankfurt provided Schleswig-Holstein businesses with national and international networking opportunities. You will fi nd the details on pages 6 and 7. At this point the windcomm team would like to thank you for your support and at the same time to invite you to windcomm s tenth anniversary celebration to be held during the windcommunity meeting in March You will fi nd more about this on page 18. Our team wishes you and your families a peaceful festive season and good health in the New Year. Dr. Matthias Hüppauff Project Coordinator Network agency windcomm Martin Schmidt Managing Director windcomm e. V.

3 Index of contents 3 Content windcomm news 4 What s new at windcomm e. V. 5 Regional expert panel founded 6 OBMC: Practice beats PowerPoint 7 EWEA Off shore companies are holding back 8 News from the wind sector 8 Company portrait: OutSmart GmbH 10 Potential for industry and science 11 Max Bögl plant arrives by ship 11 New off shore service building on Helgoland 12 Wind, waves and porpoises 12 Test plant for research projects 13 FURGY with a trans-atlantic focus 13 HUSUM Wind 2015: Focus on practical relevance and Congress programme 14 News from the political arena 14 Interview with State Secretary Dr. Frank Nägele 16 Coalition for the energy transition? 17 Dates and events 17 First small wind forum at New Energy trade fair 18 Overview of events 19 People 19 Roland Stanze to be new Chief Financial Offi cer at WKN AG 19 Fritz Brickwedde new President of the BEE 19 Jens Müller-Nielsen moves to the WSB Group

4 windcomm news 4 What s new at windcomm e. V. With three new members joining in the last three months the wind cluster windcomm schleswig-holstein e. V. now has 78 members. The new members are described briefly in the following. OutSmart GmbH has branches in Hamburg and Emden as well as in Belgium, the UK, France and the Netherlands. The company manages onshore and off shore wind farm projects from development to maintenance. The company is portrayed on page 8. The Ebert Erneuerbare Energien Group is located in Kiel and Cremlingen near Braunschweig. The company manages wind farm projects throughout Germany and off ers an allround service from planning through approval process and construction to operation of the wind plants. Services include confi guration of the wind plant locations, planning of main connections, property and power-line routes, economic feasibility prognoses and technical and business management of the wind plants and substations. A2SEA Deutschland GmbH is located in Hamburg and is a subsidiary of the Danish off shore logistics company A2SEA. The company employs 350 people worldwide (2 of these in Hamburg) and operates its own installation and service ships. The company has recently installed its 1,000th off shore wind energy plant in the wind farm Gwynt y Mor in the Irish Sea, and work is due to start on Borkum Riff grund 1 in the Geman Bight in July

5 windcomm news 5 Regional expert panel founded windcomm was instrumental in the founding of the Think-Tank Energiewende Schleswig-Holstein in September of this year. The think tank consists of a group of experts from Schleswig-Holstein who meet to discuss energy and economic policy issues and work out recommendations for the implementation of the energy transition both in Schleswig-Holstein and on a federal level. What is novel about this is that not only representatives of the wind industry but also business development managers, representatives of associations, of academia and of state administrative bodies come together to discuss the best solutions. In this way, concepts can be developed which take into account a wide range of aspects aff ecting the implementation of energy transition. The group met for the fi rst time on 18 September 2013 in Büsum. 20 experts discussed recommendations on electricity market design, grid expansion and training and continuing education for the coalition talks in Berlin. At the end of October the results were presented in the form of a position paper to Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel, Federal Environment Minister Altmaier, Minister President Hannelore Kraft (as Chair of the Working Group Energy during the coalition negotiations) and Minister President Torsten Albig. It was also sent to all of Schleswig-Holstein s representatives in the federal parliament, including Dr. Nina Scheer (SPD) and Ingbert Liebing (CDU), members of the Working Group Energy. There was a positive response to the think-tank across the board so that it will continue to work as an advisory body. Workshops on the amendment to the Renewable Energies Act (EEG) and on electricity market design are to be organised at the beginning of the New Year. Windcomm schleswigholstein e. V. members can register for the workshops under mitglieder@windcomm.de. The number of places is limited. For further information please see Experts from industry, science and administration develop recommendations for various energy policy issues in the Think Tank Energiewende Schleswig-Holstein. Photos: windcomm/christensen

6 windcomm news 6 OBMC: Practice beats PowerPoint Practical orientation and networking were the focus of this year s Off shore Business Meetings and Conference (OBMC) organised for the fi fth time by windcomm. The conference programme with talks and panel discussions was less comprehensive than in earlier years but the meeting provided opportunities for business-to-business discussions prepared by Enterprise Europe Network to ensure that all participants were able to fi nd a suitable potential business partner. Parallel to this there was a trip to the Training Centre for Renewable Energies (Bildungszentrum Erneuer bare Energien, BZEE) in the Husum commercial district; here, participants were able to take a close look at safety equipment and training towers. The talks were brought more alive by the fact that, fi rstly, BARD I and Riff gat, the fi rst commercial off shore wind farms in the German Bight, were completed this year and, secondly, that the initial foundations were laid for the wind farms Nordsee Ost, Meerwind and Dan Tysk. The next OBMC will be held in the summer earlier than usual, on Thursday, 3 July 2014 in Rendsburg. Further information will be available in good time from Fact-fi nding trips were a new focus at the Off shore conference OBMC Photos: windcomm/birresborn The entire second day of the event involved a trip to Denmark. Thanks to our Danish partners we were able to arrange a coach trip to the island of Rømø, where the port of Havneby is currently being developed as an off shore service port. From here the trip went on to Esbjerg where participants were able to watch the installation vessel Seafox 5 being loaded with foundations for the off shore wind farm Dan Tysk; they were also shown the building from which the energy provider Vattenfall controls and monitors its off shore wind farms. At the Port of Esbjerg, stacking of monopile foundations for the off shore wind farm Dan Tysk took place.

7 windcomm news 7 EWEA Off shore companies are holding back Every two years the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) organises Europe s largest off shore exhibition with a concurrent conference programme. This year s venue was Germany s fi nancial capital, Frankfurt am Main. The city has the largest international airport in Europe, good for global connections. Banks were not represented among the ca. 450 exhibitors, most of which came from European countries. In total, however, the fair was less well attended than the previous one in Amsterdam, with 7,500 visitors this year; in 2011 there were ten percent more. The number of exhibitors was also down by about 30, a development which appears to refl ect the general trend in the off shore sector. For months we have been seeing a consolidation of the market due to instable conditions in the general market set-up. The WTSH and windcomm will be organising another joint stand for the wind sector, this time at the Hamburg WindEnergy exhibition from 23 to 26 September To promote Schleswig-Holstein as an off shore location windcomm and the Wirtschaftsförderung und Technologietransfer GmbH (Business Development and Technology Transfer Corporation; WTSH) organised a joint stand. This was used by the following companies and institutions: BZEE Academy, egeb, ESN, Kisters and Rendsburg Port Authority. The windcomm team took the opportunity to catch up with existing contacts and expand the network capacity. Network agency staff attended workshops run by partner regions Pays de Loire and the US State of Maryland. One of the highlights was the party organised on the second day of the exhibition together with Messe Husum und Congress. Hundreds of guests enjoyed the HUSUM Wind beer and the good company and talk at the exhibition booth. The Business Development and Technology Transfer Schleswig-Holstein GmbH Corporation (WTSH) and windcomm organised a Schleswig-Holstein booth at the Off shore exhibition EWEA Photo: WTSH

8 News from the wind sector 8 Company portrait: OutSmart GmbH windcomm: Mr. Wolf, your partners are Dutch how does our neighbouring country view the protracted government coalition talks and the discussion about reducing feed-in compensation rates which has been going on for over a year now? Matthias Wolf is a partner and manager of OutSmart s Hamburg offi ce. Photo: windcomm/birresborn OutSmart GmbH provides consultancy services and manages onshore and off shore wind farm operations for its customers. The company s portfolio also includes a wide range of services from management consultancy and training programmes to asset management and performance assessments of existing wind projects and individual wind energy plants. From the main German offi ce in Hamburg and the recently opened Operations Coordination Centre in Emden, 14 people are responsible for advisory and coordination services, primarily for customers located in Germany. This includes many of the German North Sea off shore projects which are currently in the planning or installation stages. Further offi ces have also been opened in London, Paris and Belgium. 36 people are employed at company headquarters in Velp (Netherlands), where the company began life as OutSmart They are also responsible for off shore and onshore wind projects throughout Europe and provide important back offi ce services for the German wind projects. windcomm spoke to OutSmart partner and manager of the Hamburg offi ce, Matthias Wolf. Wolf: The current atmosphere and developments in the fi eld of wind energy subsidies are being viewed with scepticism and, to a certain degree, incomprehension. It is evident that ambiguous political statements mean that many investors are exercising caution in their assessments of projects and that follow-on projects which have already been approved are not being activated. For many years Germany played a model role with respect to the application of the Renewable Energies Act and the steady progress towards the energy transition. In recent months, the country has unfortunately forfeited this role. Despite the current lull, OutSmart sees Germany as one of the strongest and most important markets for wind projects. This was also the reason why OutSmart GmbH was set up in Hamburg in We totally fail to understand the current unwillingness to provide the necessary subsidies for off shore wind projects as this can only be seen as contrary to the goals of the energy transition. The sector is still too young to factor out subsidy measures or to discuss cuts. A uniform funding concept for all the energy generation types we know at the moment would certainly make the discussion more transparent. windcomm: The need to reduce costs always crops up when offshore projects are being discussed. What

9 News from the wind sector 9 technical innovations and services do you see playing a role here? Wolf: If we are going to talk about cost reduction, we should also talk about avoiding unnecessary costs before they arise. This can mainly be done in the initial phase of projects. Even if a defi nitive fi nancial close has not yet been reached on the project, it is still worth investing in an experienced consultancy team from the start. However, it cannot be ignored that, compared with other more established sectors, the development of off shore projects is still in its infancy and many innovations and optimisation processes are introduced in every new wind farm project. OutSmart is planning an initiative to ensure more dialogue and synergies around certain topics among wind farm operators within project clusters. windcomm: The onshore projects which OutSmart manages are mostly located in the Netherlands. Is the German market uninteresting for you? Wolf: No, not at all. But as our resources have so far largely been wrapped up in the off shore projects in Germany, we will be expanding our onshore activities in the course of the next few months, in Germany as in other countries. At the moment we are concentrating on contacting German onshore wind farm customers with a new operations coordination concept and on applying parallels from our off shore experience and concept development to the onshore sector. Our fi rst operations coordination centre in Emden is the fi rst step towards professional handling and operations management of both off shore and onshore projects. windcomm: You also offer training courses. What are your main focuses and what kind of further training will the onshore and offshore sectors require in the coming years? Wolf: We have been running a successful international education programme in the Netherlands in cooperation with HAN University in Arnheim for a number of years now. Both extraoccupational and post-graduate courses are available to prepare project managers for the off shore wind project market. We see great potential here in terms of a practice-oriented training of off shore project managers helping further optimise project handling. We will also be off ering a similar programme at universities in Germany. We also off er technical service courses to support customers who want to maintain their wind farms with their own staff. OutSmart is a member of, and on the committee of, the BZEE, and, together with many other important members, is involved in developing training concepts for onshore and off shore service technicians. The more off shore wind farms go into operation, the more we will feel the squeeze in terms of resource allocation. So, it is important that we qualify and inspire people for these tasks as soon as we possibly can. We are happy and proud to be working in this branch of industry and will use all the means at our disposal to advance the idea of promoting and optimising wind projects. OutSmart GmbH Mattentwiete Hamburg T +49 (0) F +49 (0) E info@out-smart.eu I

10 News from the wind sector 10 Potential for industry and science Due to an increase in demand a new building, the wisstechcenter, is being planned in the centre of the Wissenschaftspark ; this could provide a further 23,000 m 2 of offi ce space in the coming years. Your contact for the MFG 5-site: Daniel Kreutz Project director renewable energies and health economy Telephone: 0431/ dkreutz@kiwi-kiel.de Kiel s Business Development organisation (KiWi GmbH) is marketing a 75-hectare large site in the north of the city which was used for decades by the Navy s Flying Squadron 5 (MFG 5). The land is right on the Kiel Fjord and would be suitable as a production location for the wind energy sector. It also provides ideal conditions for combining work, accommodation and leisure. A total of 35 hectares are available for commercial usage. The existing areas and buildings such as workshops, hangars and offi ce space and the current infrastructure can be adapted to the individual needs of the renewable energies or other future-oriented sectors. Currently unused areas add to the planning and development fl exibility. The location beside the sea also makes this suitable as a high-end residential area. The former military base right on the Kiel Fjord could be used for a combination of industrial, recreation and residential purposes. Photos / Graphic: KiWi In the centre of Kiel, in the close vicinity of the Christian Albrechts University and on premises comprising 20 hectares in all, the KiWi is letting workspace to knowledge-oriented businesses. The Wissenschaftspark Kiel is an attractive address for future-oriented businesses in the Kiel area. Cooperation with the universities means that innovative products can be developed and qualifi ed staff is available. Kiel s Business Development Corporation, the Wissenschaftszentrum and local transfer organisations all support companies in their search for the right partners, the development of innovation strategies, fi nancial structuring and obtaining funding. Your contact for the Wissenschaftspark : Werner Kässens KiWi GmbH general manager Telephone: 0431/ wkaessens@kiwi-kiel.de

11 News from the wind sector 11 Max Bögl plant arrives by ship New off shore service building on Helgoland While the two off shore wind farms, RWE Innogy s Nordsee Ost (295 MW) and WindMW s Meerwind Süd/Ost (288 MW), are being constructed 30 kilometres north of Helgoland, an operational basis is being developed in the port area in the south of the island. In addition to the outside storage spaces, two buildings are being erected on the ca. 6,000 m2 site, one for RWE Innogy and the other for WindMW. Each building has a fl oor area of 1,200 m2 and after completion in spring 2014 will contain storage areas, workshops, control rooms, and offi ce and leisure rooms. The topping out ceremony was held in October. The prefabricated parts for the new Max Bögl plant were unloaded from a ship in Rendsburg Port using two port mobile cranes operating in tandem. Photo: Rendsburg Port The fi rst precast components for the Max Bögl plant have been shipped to RENDSBURG PORT in Osterrönfeld. The company specialises in concrete construction and is currently constructing a plant for the assembly of hybrid towers for onshore wind energy plants in RENDSBURG PORT close to the Kiel Canal. The production building is being constructed from prefabricated parts produced by Max Bögl s own works in Liebenau (Niedersachsen) on the River Weser. Some of the large and heavy components are being shipped to Rendsburg-Osterrönfeld by inland waterway vessels. The fi rst inland vessel was unloaded in RENDSBURG PORT, the new heavy duty port in Osterrönfeld, at the end of September. The prefabricated components weigh between 30 and 60 tons and are up to 40 tons long. They were lifted off the ship, loaded onto a special truck and taken to the nearby construction site in the course of a day. Two port mobile cranes, operating in tandem, were used to handle the cargo. New service buildings for the off shore wind farms Nordsee Ost (RWE Innogy) and Meerwind Süd/Ost (WindMW GmbH) are going up in the southern port area of Helgoland. Photo: RWE AG

12 News from the wind sector 12 Wind, waves and porpoises Test plant for research projects Echo sounders were mounted in a circle around the monopile of the research platform FINO 3 to monitor scouring. Photo: FuE GmbH Kiel The scientists involved in the research projects on the FINO 1, 2 and 3 platforms presented their results at a conference held in Kiel. Research topics include wind speed, wave height, scour on foundation structures, migratory birds and harbour porpoises. The research platforms are operated by the Research and Development Centre of Kiel University of Applied Sciences (Forschungs- und Entwicklungszentrum der Fachhochschule Kiel GmbH, FuE) and GL Garrad Hassan. Other private and state institutions and companies, including the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Authority, the German Weather Service and the Research Centre Jülich, are also involved in the research projects, some of which are fi nanced by the Federal Ministry for the Environment. Average wind speeds of 9.5 metres per second (FINO 1 ), 9.8 m/s (FINO 2 ) and 10.1 m/s (FINO 3 ) were measured. Even the scientists were surprised to fi nd that the average wind speed measured on the Baltic Sea platform FINO 2 hardly diff ered from that measured on the North Sea platforms. On FINO 1 a trial of a LIDAR system was also conducted; this system can measure not only wind speed but also the turbulences behind the rotor. Various methods of monitoring scour were tested on FINO 1 and FINO 3. The best results were obtained using sonar depth gauges (echo sounders) like those used on yachts. Eight of these were mounted underwater in a circle around the monopile and about two metres above the seafl oor. At the end of the conference two scientists from the USA presented projects being conducted to obtain and evaluate off shore data on a regular basis. The Chesapeake lighthouse on the Virginian Atlantic coast about 20 km from Chesapeake Bay is to be converted to a research platform along the lines of the FINO platforms. With the commissioning of the research and test wind energy plant REpower MM92 in Eggebek earlier this month, the Flensburg University of Applied Sciences (FH Flensburg), and specifi cally the Wind Energy Technology Institute (WETI), now has at its disposal a test turbine for the evaluation of a number of research projects. What is more, the wind farm developer Denker & Wulf AG will be donating the revenue from the plant (over and above a certain equity fi nancing sum) to the university. So not only do the students and academic staff now have a teaching and research tool at hand but the economic success of the plant will also largely benefi t the university. The research and cooperation contract with Denker & Wulf AG guarantees a secure income of 40,000 euros in addition to the research operations. The total investment sum is ca. 2.8 million euros and fi nancing was made possible with the help of the Sparkasse Mittelholstein AG and the investment Bank of Schleswig-Holstein (IB.SH).To make this project work, Denker & Wulf AG successfully brought together REpower Systems SE, the FH Flensburg and the Energy and Technology Park Eggebek. The extended project also includes the assembly of two further 6MW research turbines in Wanderup; this will also be in cooperation with the FH Flensburg

13 News from the wind sector 13 FURGY with a trans-atlantic focus HUSUM Wind 2015: Focus on practical relevance and Congress programme At the FURGY Climate Conference held in Flensburg in October, Schleswig-Holstein s State Secretary for Technology, Ralph Müller-Beck, presented the IHK (Chamber of Commerce) Flensburg with an agreement to contribute 150,000 euros to the FURGY transatlantic project. Over a period of 18 months FURGY is being subsidised by a total of 300,000 euros from the Business Programme for the Future. FURGY will thus be able to expand on its work as a German-Danish project and focus on cooperation with the US state of Maryland. The aim is to establish a crossborder alliance of regional industry and science to create an international knowledge network in the areas of renewable resources and energy effi ciency. Schleswig-Holstein and Maryland are partner regions in the energy fi eld. Maryland is planning the use of off shore wind energy on its own east coast and would like to cooperate with Schleswig-Holstein in tapping this potential. The Ministry of Economic Aff airs extends the subsidies for the IHK-project FURGY. Left: Project Manager Gorm Casper, beside him Uwe Möser, President of the IHK Flensburg, State Secretary Ralph Müller-Beck and Stefan Sievers, Head of the IHK offi ce in Husum. Photo: IHK Flensburg Two years before the beginning of the fair which will be concentrating on the German market, over 100 exhibitors have already booked a stand. These include Alstom, GE, Nordex, Repower, Siemens and Vestas. The entire German wind sector will be meeting on the North German coast from 15 to 18 September The joint committee has met for the fi rst time and has begun work on the wind fairs in Husum and Hamburg. The committee is made up of representatives of leading German wind companies, international business enterprises and wind sector associations. The goal is to fi rmly establish Husum and Hamburg as the leading German wind fairs. Visitors will fi nd the global industry in urban Hamburg and the leading German market in the user-region Nordfriesland. The congress which takes place during HUSUM Wind will gain in importance, with the emphasis being on practical relevance to national wind business. The price structure will ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises will also be able to use HUSUM as a prestigious showcase. If you are interested in booking a booth, please contact Birgit Rademacher, Telephone , rademacher@messehusum.de.

14 News from the political arena 14 Focus on the value added of renewable energies State Secretary Dr. Frank Nägele of Schleswig-Holstein s Ministry of Economic Aff airs, Employment, Transport and Technology came to Kiel from Berlin. In the federal capital he was responsible for coordinating the transport, building and city development policies of the SPD parliamentary group and was on the Executive Board of the Foundation Berliner Schloss-Humboldtforum. windcomm: Dr. Nägele, what do you expect of the new German government with respect to the energy transition? Dr. Nägele: I expect the German government to enable a systematic and well-coordinated implementation of the energy transition process, but I also expect them not to lose sight of the economic development of Germany the competitive ability of the country, the creation of value added and employment, research and development. The latter will be particularly important for future wind energy use in Schleswig-Holstein. It is not only the generation of power from renewable energies itself but all the economic activities around renewable energies which are of signifi cance for the energy transition and acceptance among the general public. windcomm: What does the Schleswig-Holstein government view as necessary for energy transition and the expansion of wind energy? Dr. Nägele: Future support for wind energy, both onshore and off shore, requires clear-cut conditions. In the coming years, we should hold on to the EEG so as to create planning and investment security. Here, the future terms of the reference yield model (Referenzertragsmodell) will play a part in investments in Schleswig-Holstein s wind energy. The coalition agreement foresees an extension up to 2019 of the acceleration model ( Stauchungsmodell ) with a higher starting tariff. For this reason I expect to see a continuation of the investments in off shore wind energy in northern Germany. We will be providing suitable infrastructure in Brunsbüttel, Büsum, Rendsburg and other ports. windcomm: Dr. Nägele, in September windcomm set up the expert group Think-Tank Energiewende Schleswig- Holstein to develop recommendations for the implementation of the energy transition. Which of these recommendations do you think are particularly important, and which would you have formulated differently? Dr. Nägele: The expert group Think-Tank Energiewende Schleswig-Holstein set out several proposals for important areas of the energy transition in Schleswig-Holstein with respect to wind energy electricity market design, grid expansion, workforce Dr. Frank Nägele, State Secretary in the Schleswig-Holstein Ministry of Economic Aff airs, Employment, Transport and Technology points out the economic activities that the renewable energies sector has triggered in Schleswig-Holstein. Photo: windcomm/birresborn requirements and passed these on for use in the coalition talks in Berlin. The paper contains many recommendations for action, which should be further discussed and analysed for feasibility when a new government is formed in Berlin based on the coalition agreement. I don t wish here to single out a particular recommendation from the many that were made, but I would like to praise your commitment and that of the expert group members for putting these recommendations together.

15 News from the political arena 15 windcomm: In addition to electricity market design and grid expansion, the Think-Tank discussed the issues training and continuing education. Schleswig-Holstein s government recently presented the strategy with which they intend to counter the shortage of skilled labour. In what ways will the government be supporting the wind industry? Dr. Nägele: The skilled worker initiative Zukunft im Norden ( Future in the North ) is addressed to the industry in Schleswig- Holstein in general. It is important to note that the initiative is not only a government initiative but that it is also being supported by a large number of partners, the Chambers of Commerce and Trades, employers associations, local associations, trade unions, the Federal Employment Offi ce and Schleswig- Holstein s Association of University Leaders. It will be a learning initiative which will continue to develop in dialogue with the various sectors and so will be able to react to real needs. For this to happen, the various sectors, and especially the energy sector, have to work together. We will provide support in the form of the sector dialogue instrument creating a network and support structure to provide each company with individual know-how as to how to secure the necessary young skilled workforce; in addition to this it improves networking capabilities among the important players in education, science and industry. windcomm: It is not long till Christmas. What would you like from the regional wind sector next year? Dr. Nägele: I hope that we will continue to have a constructive dialogue with the wind sector so as to make use of the economic opportunities arising from the energy transition to create more value added and more employment in Schleswig-Holstein. Photo: windcomm / Birresborn

16 News from the political arena 16 Coalition for the energy transition? Rarely has a government spent so long arguing political goals in coalition talks as the CDU/CSU and the SPD in recent months. As a result, the energy transition section of the coalition agreement is long and detailed. Yet, right at the beginning there is a contradiction: The coalition is in favour of a rapid but fundamental reform of the Renewable Energies Act (Erneuerbare- Energien-Gesetz, EEG) which is to be presented to the Cabinet by Easter Rapid and fundamental do not, however, go too well together in practice. But we will not know until the draft reform of the Act is available what the Federal Government means by appropriate expansion subsidies for wind and other energy sources. The Act is scheduled to come into force on 1st January One thing is already clear, however. There will be cuts for onshore wind energy. The subsidy rates for strong wind locations will be reduced by an as yet unknown amount. This will hit Schleswig-Holstein west coast projects particularly hard: it is here that 60 percent of the newly designated wind farms are being developed. The adjustment of the reference yield model will mean that, nationwide, good locations can continue to be used economically. There will be a provision to protect old plants. Off shore, the goals were adapted to the reality. Instead of the originally planned 10 gigawatts, only 6.5 are now planned for 2020; for 2030 the goal is 15 rather than 30 gigawatts. The acceleration model, however, is to be extended from 2017 to By 2018 subsidy levels for renewable energies are to be calculated by bidding, if practice shows that this is a less costly means of reaching the goals of the energy transition. By 2016 at the latest a pilot tender-model will be introduced for large-scale photovoltaic plants with over 400 megawatts capacity. In the long term, then, the coalition is taking leave of the EEG as an expansion instrument, and direct marketing will be mandatory in the near future for all renewable energy sources. Further, the grid operator will be able to down-regulate by 5% the annual electrical output of a plant free of recompensation. All in all, the measures do not seem to be well coordinated and there does not appear to be a consistent concept for energy transition. It remains to be seen what the government will present with respect to the EEG reform at Easter and what negative eff ects this will have, particularly on the onshore industry. windcomm will continue to follow the process via the Think-Tank Energiewende Schleswig- Holstein (please see also the report on page 5). Head wind for fi xed feed-in tariff s: According to plans of the recently established German government, renewable electricity should be produced according to market demands. Photo: Birresborn

17 Events 17 First small wind forum at New Energy trade fair New Energy Husum is taking place from 20 to 23 March 2014 in the NordseeCongressCentrum and exhibition halls in Husum. In addition to the international World Summit for Small Wind run in cooperation with the World Wind Energy Association (WWEA), the programme will include for the fi rst time a separate small wind forum for the general public. The forum is being organised jointly by New Energy Husum and the German Association of Small Wind Plants (Bundesverband Kleinwindanlagen, BVKW) and will take place on the third day of the fair (22 March). The main topics of discussion will be the potential application, planning permission and fi nancing of small wind turbines. 70 small wind companies are expected as exhibitors at the trade fair. In addition to the specialised Small Wind Congress, the New Energy 2014 trade fair plans to host a small wind forum geared to the general public. Photo: Messe Husum/Birresborn New energy is a showcase for decentralised energy generation. The topics and technologies range from small wind to biogas, solid biomass (pellets, fi rewood and woodchips for heating), solar thermal energy, photovoltaics and electro-mobility to geothermal energy, energy storage, energy-effi cient building and the operation of mini combined heat and power systems.

18 Events 18 Overview of events Date Event Location Brief description Further information Windforce Baltic Sea Danzig Conference/trade fair EWEA Annual Event Barcelona Conference/trade fair windcommunity meeting Husum Networking event New Energy Husum Trade fair

19 People 19 Roland Stanze to be new Chief Financial Offi cer at WKN AG Fritz Brickwedde new President of the BEE Jens Müller-Nielsen moves to the WSB Group Roland Stanze, former Executive Vice-President and Business Development Manager for PNE WIND AG in Cuxhaven, has been appointed Chief Financial Offi cer (CFO) of WKN AG in Husum, also part of the PNE WIND AG Group. As of 1 July 2014 he will succeed the current WKN CFO, Michael Ostwald. Until then he will be a member of the WKN Board. In addition to his responsibilities as CFO of WKN AG, Roland Stanze will also be responsible for the purchasing of the PNE WIND Group s wind energy turbines and for the fi nancing of the Group s wind farm projects. Roland Stanze, a graduate economist, began his professional career in 1992 at the EnergieKontor AG in Bremen. From there he moved to a subsidiary of the Commerzbank and in 1999 to PNE WIND AG. From 1st January 2014, Udo Follrichs will take over Roland Stanze s responsibilities as Business Development Area Manager and company representative with full power of attorney ( Prokurist ) with PNE WIND AG. Udo Follrichs, a graduate engineer, has been with WKN since Roland Stanze moves from PNE Wind AG to WKN. Photo: PNE Wind AG Dr.-Ing. Fritz Brickwedde was elected President of the German Renewable Energy Federation BEE (Bundesverband Erneuerbare Energie, BEE) at the General Meeting in October. Brickwedde succeeds Dietmar Schütz and took up his position on 1 November. For more than 22 years Brickwedde was General Secretary of the Bundesstiftung Umwelt (German Federal Environmental Fund). With assets of over 2 billion euros this is the largest environmental foundation in the world. Brickwedde s express goal was the abandonment of coal power in the medium-term and the constant expansion of renewable energies. His predecessor, Dietmar Schütz, was a member of the Bundestag for the SPD and was considered one of the fathers of the Renewable Energies Act (EEG). He appealed to the new government coalition to hold on to this means of subsidising the energy transition, arguing that the energy transition will make Germany s electricity generation CO2-free and further increase the competitiveness of the German economy. Fritz Brickwedde takes over from Dietmar Schütz as President of the BEE. Photo: BEE e. V. xthe WSB Group in Dresden has a new management structure. Andreas Dorner and Marko Lieske have been at the head of WSB Neue Energien Holding GmbH since June Stefan Hain and Markus Brogsitter have also been appointed management board members. Jens Müller-Nielsen, who is originally from Bremen, joined the company at its Dresden location at the beginning of Jens Müller-Nielsen came to the WSB Group from REpower. Photo: windcomm/ Birresborn October. Parallel to his operational management responsibilities he will also be responsible for business development and new market penetration. Prior to joining WSB Jens Müller-Nielsen was managing director of the Hamburg-based wind turbine manufacturer REpower Systems GmbH and REpower Poland p.z.o.o. in Warsaw. In this capacity he was a guest at the 11th windcommunity meeting during HUSUM Wind As stated in the WSB Group s press release, the 53-year-old will use his longstanding expertise in the development of new markets and provide strategic and operational support for the management team. He will also be responsible for purchasing and quality assurance and will join the WSB Group management team at the beginning of

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