Offshore wind capital Bremerhaven grapples with shrinking industry

The German coastal city of Bremerhaven used to be a thriving centre for the offshore wind power but now struggles to hold on to the sector’s few remaining companies, Peter Hanuschke writes for the Weser Kurier. Bremerhaven once hosted about 3,000 jobs in the offshore wind industry. That number has fallen to 1,500 instead of reaching the 8,000 initially hoped for, Hanuschke says. Turbine manufacturer Senvion is the only major wind power company left in the city. Despite a rapid increase in the use of wind power worldwide, manufacturers are competing fiercely over prices, as guaranteed revenues for the sector are cut, putting pressure on smaller companies in particular. Germany’s coastal states have called on the federal government to lift a cap on offshore wind expansion to keep the industry stable.

Read the article in German here.

See the CLEW dossier Offshore wind power in Germany for background.