Public pressure to comply with the Paris Agreement is growing. The "Fridays for Future” movement has been drawing crowds to the streets around the world. People demand action to combat the climate crisis. Policymakers ambitiously talk about moving to carbon neutral economies. Meanwhile global energy needs continue to grow. How can we limit global warming to 1.5°C, protecting our environment while ensuring a reliable and competitive energy supply? Wind energy can serve as a backbone of a clean and competitive energy system.
Wind energy is the most competitive energy source, offering high CO2 savings, whether used for buildings, mobility or industrial applications. It creates jobs and boosts local economies. According to the International Energy Agency’s projections, wind energy will become the EU’s largest power source in 2027, overtaking coal, nuclear and then gas in the process.
From 22 to 25 September 2020, WindEnergy Hamburg will once again be the global meeting place for the onshore and offshore wind industry under the theme Climate First. More than 1,400 national and international exhibitors will fill nine exhibition halls displaying the latest products, services and trends. Roughly 35,000 participants from 100 countries will come to Hamburg to see the entire wind industry's value chain and to get a comprehensive overview of the status, development and future of the global wind market.
For the first time the organisers - Hamburg Messe und Congress and WindEurope - will bring the conference to the exhibition halls to reinforce the expo experience with learnings from the brightest industry and research minds. Three stages will be set-up for keynotes and panel discussions featuring international experts. "We have adapted our concept to the needs of the market. In an industry showing such a dynamic development, WindEnergy Hamburg is the key event where major players, decision-makers and pioneers can get informed, network, and close deals. This is a place where knowledge can be shared globally in a very focused manner. To us this means implementing an open conference concept right in the middle of our exhibition halls that interlinks directly with the exhibits,” says Bernd Aufderheide, President and CEO, Hamburg Messe und Congress.
New focal topics and insights: Hydrogen and renewables-based electrification, People and Global Business
Among three core topics featured at next year's WindEnergy Hamburg, Electrification, Energy Storage and Power-to-X solutions will feature prominently as the missing link to succeed in the energy transition. Exhibition hall B7 will provide the “H2Insights” networking area and the “Power4Climate” stage featuring groundbreaking discussions with experts exploring future-ready solutions and business models. “Through this arrangement we connect key players in wind energy production with specialists in the field of electrification and renewable hydrogen conversion and applications. This is an important step towards accomplishing the vital energy and mobility transition. It harbours enormous potential for the global market,” summarises Bernd Aufderheide.
People will be the main focus of a dedicated stage in Hall A4: Empowering People Insights. Topics will cover safety, cyber security and digitalisation, community engagement, jobs and skills. “To deliver the energy transition, we need to take people with us. Community engagement and involvement is key. And creating highly skilled and safe jobs for people. And keeping their energy bills low. Wind delivers all of that. And it will help ensure the energy transition leaves no one behind. Hamburg next September will be the place to be to drive this agenda,” says Giles Dickson, CEO of WindEurope.
The "Global Business Insights Stage" in Hall B1 will be organised in collaboration with GWEC, the Global Wind Energy Council. Participants will hear about market developments worldwide in a series of sessions dedicated to finance, investments and cooperation arrangements, presented by key business and political stakeholders. “Wind is a genuine global success story, it is going mainstream in leading economies like US, China, and Brazil and has dramatic growth potential in emerging markets. Hamburg will be the place to share the recipes for success and overcome the challenges to put wind at the heart of the global energy transition,“ says Ben Backwell, CEO of GWEC.
