Germany, wind power industry agree steps to improve security and competitiveness

Europe's wind power industry and the German government have agreed on a set of measures to tackle challenges regarding the sector’s competitiveness, continued investments, and infrastructure security against digital or physical attacks. Economy minister Robert Habeck said the wind industry in Germany and Europe helped secure the region’s energy sovereignty. “We therefore have to improve the surrounding conditions to keep this industry competitive and prepare the ground for future economic value creation in Germany and Europe,” Habeck argued.

The Green Party politician and the industry representatives agreed to take action regarding supply chain dependencies, to achieve more secure funding conditions, and to ensure a level playing field in international competition by assessing market distortion and public support options. The industry representatives assured that Europe’s domestic wind power industry would be able to cover demand in the region for new turbines if the right conditions are met. Habeck will meet industry representatives again in early 2025 to review the progress made until then.

With a view to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) World Energy Outlook, which calls for more global efforts to expand renewables and aim for limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, Habeck said the world is currently at a crossroads when it comes to energy supply. Renewables expansion is happening faster than ever, but geopolitical tensions and the increasing scramble for raw materials needed to build a more climate friendly economy increase the risk that expansion targets cannot be met. “This is why we want to build up sufficient domestic capacities in the EU for renewables and transformation technologies,” he said.

Giles Dickson, head of wind industry association WindEurope said he welcomed the German government’s efforts to strengthen turbine producers in international competition, and also address the increasingly pressing issue of security. “There are hundreds of sensors in a modern wind turbine. Whoever controls these will have access to critical information and can manipulate single components or entire wind turbines.”

Karina Würtz of the German Stiftung Offshore Windenergie commented that the EU must be careful not to engage in a “race to the bottom” regarding turbine manufacturing costs that could bankrupt European producers. “We need a joint European approach here,” she argued.

The EU earlier this month prepared a response to the expansion of the Chinese wind industry by developing a plan to make its domestic industry more competitive. Measures included support for companies from the European Investment Bank, faster approval procedures, and a plea to member states to consider “economic security” rather than just price when auctioning wind farms.

Concerns about Chinese competition in green technologies has risen sharply in Germany and the European Union. Germany's economy minister Robert Habeck has warned against over-reliance on Chinese supply chains, though he also expressed opposition to economic decoupling from the Asian industrial heavyweight.