Focus on the Netherlands at WindEnergy Hamburg: An innovative industry and a wide range of services

Together with Germany, Denmark and Belgium, the Netherlands agreed the Esbjerg Declaration in May 2022 and resolved to install at least
65 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy by 2030. Therefore the Netherlands also play a major role for WindEnergy Hamburg: "After Germany and Denmark, Dutch companies are the third largest group among our exhibitors, up to now 73 registered stands. More than 30 of the exhibitors are participating in the Dutch Village of the Netherlands WindEnergy Association (NWEA) iin September. This is how we show the wide range of the Dutch wind industry," says Andreas Arnheim, Project Manager of WindEnergy Hamburg.

Netherlands Wind Energy Association

Danielle Veldman, organiser of the Dutch participation in WindEnergy Hamburg, said on behalf of the Netherlands Wind Energy Association (NWEA): “This first post-pandemic year proves exciting for Dutch wind power development in multiple areas. Hamburg offers the best professional wind industry platform in Europe for many Dutch exhibitors to professionally present themselves, expand their networks, and strengthen their position in a globalising business environment.” She added that since the inauguration of the fourth Dutch Rutte cabinet earlier this year, offshore wind targets were raised by another 10GW, aiming to add up to 21GW by 2030. What is more, the 1.4GW North Sea Hollandse Kust West tender announced this May generated much interest. As the third Dutch zerosubsidy tender, it is considered to be the world’s first tender to explicitly incorporate non-pricing qualitative criteria, such as ecology and system integration. In 2021 the Dutch total installed offshore wind capacity was around 2.5GW. According to the Energy Agreement for Sustainable Growth, this should be increased to at least 4.5GW by 2023. Offshore wind will then supply 3.3 percent of Dutch energy needs.

New and repowering onshore projects show steady progress, as well, says Veldman, but require sustained efforts to address bottlenecks such as grid congestion, permitting and public acceptance. Last year 1GW of new onshore wind capacity was added, the biggest annual increment ever seen in the Netherlands. The Dutch target is to achieve a 6GW cumulative onshore capacity by 2023.

Industry cluster

Many Dutch exhibitors are active in offshore wind, with a strong industry cluster based in the port of Rotterdam region. Areas of specialisation range from design and/or manufacture of monopile and jacket substructures, pile driving solutions, floaters and anchorage systems to Jack-up vessels, motion-compensating technology, cranes and cables, and through to a wide range of consultancy services. Other Dutch exhibitors at WindEnergy Hamburg are leading contractors deploying Jackup and/or floating vessels for windfarm installation or offering other specialised expertise and hardware for purposes such as pile installation, cable-laying and scour protection.

Jack-up pioneer

GustoMSC is a pioneer in developing jack-ups with integrated jacking systems and cranes, with an installed base of over 4,000 turbines and foundations since 2002. Recently the Danish offshore contractor Cadeler signed the construction contract for their third GustoMSC-designed Jack-up. This will be the wind industry’s largest vessel to date, featuring unique design characteristics allowing swift conversion from a foundation installation unit to a wind turbine installation vessel. Other innovative technologies GustoMSC has engaged in in recent years include the construction of the world’s first telescopic offshore wind crane, and installing battery hybrid solutions and sophisticated electrical and control systems in jack-up equipment, thereby reducing CO2 emissions by 20 percent compared to conventional systems. To meet a growing market demand for foundation installation equipment, GustoMSC will launch its latest ENSIS-series heavy-lift crane vessel design in June.

Connectivity solutions

Twentsche Kabelfabriek (TKF) is a supplier of connectivity solutions with a portfolio of cables,systems and services for safe and reliable energy and data connections. At WindEnergy Hamburg, TKF will showcase key innovations, such as a solution aimed at doubling subsea cable voltage to the ‘next’ 132kV level, flexible cable solutions for floating wind turbines, or solutions designed for sustainability and recyclability. Environment-friendly cable design eliminates harmful materials such as bitumen and lead while the HDPE outer sheath prevents release of noxious substances into the fragile marine environment during installation, operation and end-of-life recovery. 99 percent of this cable is said to be recyclable and reusable in equivalent applications, with additional effort put into partial replacement of fossil-based polymers by chemical recycling-based polymers to reduce the carbon footprint further. Finally, TKF recently announced plans to build a new cable manufacturing facility at the port of Eemshaven which is scheduled for ramp-up in 2023. It will contribute to meetinga  growing international demand for subsea cables.

Crane innovations

KenzFigee is a specialist developer and supplier of lifting and hoisting equipment and services. The company has built over 4,500 cranes, engineered for specific maritime, offshore oil & gas and wind industry applications. The KenzFigee exhibition stand at WindEnergy Hamburg will highlight:

• TotalCare next-generation multibrand equipment services, a life-cycle preventative maintenance management programme.
• A new modular, up-tower crane range designed to facilitate major multi-brand component repairs of on- and offshore turbine nacelles, available from 2023. According to the manufacturer, this is the world’s first up-tower crane capable of performing major offshore component exchanges. It is expected to offer a hoisting range of up to 100 tonnes for the upcoming 15MW offshore wind turbine class. Safe hosting operations can be performed at average wind speeds of up to 12m/s and at 18m/s gusts.
• Compact, low-maintenance, electrically-powered KenzFigee ram luffing offshore cranes, with a modular design and hoisting capacities of up to 300 tonnes, proven in oil & gas.

Consultancy and aftermarket services

BLIX Consultancy brings 13 years of experience in on- and offshore wind power projects to WindEnergy Hamburg. The company has international offices providing technical, market-related and advisory services in Taiwan and Japan, with a cumulative offshore track record comprising more than 23GW. Roeland Steenhuis, managing director at BLIX, said: “We highly value WindEnergy Hamburg where a majority of the on- and offshore wind community will be attending. It offers plenty of opportunities to network with clients and attract new talent, meet key supply chain parties and learn about new innovative technologies. This combination is crucial for staying at the forefront of the energy transition.”

Spares in Motion B.V. serves the wind turbine aftermarket with an extensive portfolio. It offers a platform for buyers and sellers of spare parts with tailor-made solutions, under the heading ‘Aftermarket solutions to keep turbines running efficiently and economically’. The Rotterdam-based company has over 100,000 products and services listed for various turbine generations like former Ecotecnia, GE, Nordex, Siemens-Gamesa, former Senvion, and Suzlon.