HUSUM Wind 2021: Strong words from the industry

On Tuesday morning there was some tension detectable among exhibitors and visitors in Husum: How would the first major attendance fair since the beginning of the pandemic go? What would it be like to meet and talk to each other under strict hygiene measures? How is the mood in the industry?

But the worries were unfounded: already at the opening ceremony, the industry was combative, as the last few months had clearly shown that, despite all adversities, renewable energies could be relied on. And so a self-confident industry presented itself in Husum, ready to demand its important role in the nation's electricity supply more strongly in the future.

The two energy ministers of host state Schleswig-Holstein and partner state Brandenburg, Jan Philipp Albrecht and Jörg Steinbach, started a small verbal battle over who had installed more wind energy in their state: in the end, Brandenburg won with almost 200 MW.

Albrecht, who acted as host instead of Minister President Daniel Günther, who was ill, had clear words for the German government in Berlin: "The current situation is intolerable. The brakes and difficulties in the EEG must finally be solved. We are ready to go!" He pointed to the successes in grid expansion, as well as the great acceptance for wind power in Schleswig-Holstein, which could act as a model for Germany.

His counterpart Steinbach pointed to what he called the 'Tesla effect': How can it be that it took a total of only two years to plan and build the Tesla gigafactory in Brandenburg, but installing a single wind farm nowadays takes between six and eight years?

The future federal government can already expect strong demands from the wind industry, as BWE President Hermann Albers made clear.  Thus only two weeks before the Bundestag elections the 'Husum Appeal' was published, containing a catalogue of demands for the new government. Albers demanded that the government should finally concentrate exclusively on the expansion of renewables and stop prioritising coal and gas. He called for an end to the "years of depression" that have recently characterised energy policy. "Our patience has run out!"

Above all, a reduction in bureaucracy would be necessary, GP Joule CEO Ove Petersen emphasised. His company successfully demonstrates in North Frisia how wind power and hydrogen can be used together to advance the energy transition. At the same time, he warned of a migration of domestic companies abroad if the situation in Germany wouldn't change quickly.

Strong words shortly before the German Bundestag elections from an industry that has gained even more self-confidence in recent years.