"I welcome this partnership between WAB and Scotland as partner country to deliver this year's WINDFORCE conference. This reinforces the partnership that began last year when WAB and the Scottish DeepWind Cluster signed a cooperation agreement under which the two organisations will work together to create connections between member companies. As a result, Scottish Development International and DeepWind have been invited to become the official country partner this year of WAB's prestigious annual WINDFORCE conference. It is great to see this partnership delivering action and the relationship between Scotland and Germany strengthened", says Michael Matheson, Scottish Government's Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport.
"Our ambitious goal in the expansion of the offshore wind industry in addition to the entry into a hydrogen economy can be reached reliably through an international exchange. This is the mission of the conference. Together with our international partners, like Scotland, because Bremer companies and the North German hydrogen strategy benefit from synergies through international exchange", says Kristina Vogt, Bremen's Senator for Economic Affairs, Labour and Europe.
"Now in its 17th year, the WINDFORCE Conference has developed as one of the leading trade conferences for the offshore wind industry. Since last year it has also been dealing with the topic of green hydrogen and every year attracts national and international companies along the value chain to the coast - to the cradle of the offshore wind industry, which stands for Germany in Bremerhaven," says Bremerhaven's Lord Mayor Melf Grantz.
"The new long-term expansion target of 40 gigawatts by 2040 is an important planning basis for value creation and employment along the entire offshore wind supply chain," says WAB's CEO Jens Assheuer. "The fact that the German government has made offshore wind one of the economic policy priorities and wants to use its national hydrogen strategy to facilitate entry into the industrial production of 'green' hydrogen are further positive signals for the 17th WINDFORCE conference in Bremerhaven's Fishery Harbour," he adds.
"We are already looking forward to this year's 'class reunion' of the offshore wind industry - from a hybrid-event in 2020 to a real offline-event in 2021," says WAB Managing Director Heike Winkler. "Scotland is the ideal partner country for us especially with regard to green hydrogen and floating offshore wind power for the 17th WINDFORCE," she adds.
"We see WINDFORCE as instrumental in helping to use the unrivalled Scottish experience in North Sea conditions to enable the German wind sector to further thrive and help meet global climate crisis targets. We are proud that the equivalent of 96% of Scotland's electricity is being generated through renewable sources, and we hope that we can use this expertise and experience to work closely with our colleagues and partners in Germany as we work to develop a net zero economy", says Michael Matheson, Scottish Government's Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, Scottish Government.
"Only a sustainable development of these future industrial branches will enable a target-oriented climate protection, a cost-efficient energy transition and a successful ramp-up of the 'green' hydrogen economy," says WAB Managing Director Heike Winkler. "We look forward to the international exchange of the offshore wind industry of an industry that has been international from the start. It will be no different for 'green' hydrogen. We will present the WINDFORCE program in the first half of August", she adds.
Link to the WINDFORCE Conference website.
Picture: Offshore wind farm Beatrice off Scotland.
About WAB e.V.
Bremerhaven-based WAB is the nationwide contact partner for the offshore wind industry in Germany and the leading business network for onshore wind energy in the north-west region. The association fosters the production of "green" hydrogen from wind energy. It comprises some 250 smaller and larger businesses as well as institutes from all sectors of the wind industry, the maritime industry as well as research.
Contact:
Hans-Dieter Sohn | Senior Communications and Marketing Manager WAB e.V. | +49 173 2382802 | hans.sohn@wab.net
