Virtual tour of WindEnergy Hamburg 2024

Is it possible to visit a trade fair virtually? As we could not be present at WindEnergy Hamburg 2024 this year due to scheduling issues, we tried to recreate a visit by highlighting the most interesting things seen and heard on the media… join us on our virtual visit to WindEnergy Hamburg 2024.

 

The fair in figures

The event, which is held in Hamburg every two years, is consolidating its position as the benchmark wind power trade fair in Europe. The growth compared to the 2022 edition has been significant, especially in terms of exhibition space, which has increased from 7 pavilions in 2022 to 10 in 2024.

 

 

Notable attendances and surprising absences

Looking around the exhibition floor plan, the size of the Sany, MingYang and CRRC stands is striking. Of the European OEMs, only Enercon had a stand at the same level, while Siemens Gamesa and GE Vernova had smaller stands than usual.

 

As surprising absences, GoldWind and Envision did not have a stand, although Envision did actively participate in the conferences. It is curious that in the year of the explosion of Chinese OEMs in Europe, the two leading Chinese OEMs did not attend the main show. Suzlon did not attend either, although this is understandable given its focus on the Indian market.

 

 

And the main topic has been… the Chinese threat.

It is undoubtedly clear from articles in the trade media that the main theme of the talks was the strength of the Chinese companies. Accustomed in previous years to seeing small stands of Chinese suppliers, this year 100 Chinese companies arrived, and as we have already mentioned, with large stands and numerous announcements of new products. They were also very present at the conferences, being authoritative voices on technology issues.

 

In fact, as far as I can remember, this is the first time that an event of this level has featured a panel of Asian manufacturers giving their views on the prejudices and barriers they face when entering Europe. Windpowermonthly sums it up in this article. But the most controversial was Paulo Soares, European CEO of Sany, who told recharge that “China is the one subsidising European industry” and that “European wind turbine makers complain about unfair competition from China while buying most of their components there“. He is not wrong on the latter point.

 

 

As the great Eize de Vries headlines in his magnificent review of the fair’s novelties, “Ambitious Chinese turbine exhibitors elicit admiration and fear in equal measure“. Recharge’s coverage of the fair is also highly recommended.

 

But let’s skip the conferences and politics and get down to what we like best: a tour of the stands of the main OEMs.

 

SANY

 

 

This video shows the size of Sany’s stand. The manufacturer is trying to make a strong entry into Europe and is building a strong local organisation with industry veterans such as Paulo Soares and other ex-Vestas and ex-Gamesa.

As for new product announcements, there is something for everyone:

  • SI175-78 and SI-185-80: 7.8 and 8.0 MW turbines with 175m and 185m rotors respectively that will be their bet for Europe. These are traditional DFIG + gearbox designs and are intended to compete directly with the 17Xm rotors of European manufacturers.

 

  • 131m blade: in one piece and onshore! Impressive because this would lead to a 265m onshore rotor!

 

 

  • 140m hybrid tower: it is not very common to see new tower developments from Chinese manufacturers because the tower is not part of the scope of their local projects but they know they must develop a full portfolio of tall towers if they want to compete in Europe.

 

 

CRRC

 

 

Another of the largest stands at the fair. We also have the opportunity to take a (somewhat surrealistic) tour of the stand with a presenter.

 

 

Undoubtedly, the most talked about announcement was the 20 MW floating turbine with 260m rotor. Honestly, the greatest potential for Chinese manufacturers to enter Europe that I see is through floating wind turbines, where they are developing incredible solutions in terms of size and where they perfectly integrate the turbine and the float.

 

 

Nordex

 

 

Arguably the fittest western manufacturer of the moment. Various product announcements:

  • Hybrid tower of 200m: of its own design, this height will be added to the already available 179m. With these towers, Max Bogl’s near monopoly on very tall towers in Germany is under threat.

 

 

Enercon

 

 

Enercon did not present any relevant product innovations, yet it was the most active European manufacturer in calling for more defence measures for the industry.

 

 

MingYang

 

 

Another big attraction of the fair was to see the OceanX, the 16 MW floating turbine prototype with two 8 MW turbines installed on the same float that was installed a few weeks ago.

  • OceanX: the prototype is already operating in China and, according to its CEO, withstood the hurricane-force winds of Typhoon Yagi without major damage.

 

 

  • Stand tour: this linkedin post allows us to take a tour of the stand.

 

Windey

 

 

  • On the product side, Eize de Vries says that Windey’s plan is to soon install a prototype of its 16MW-260m, install another prototype in 2025 of its 18MW-27Xm and finally develop and install in 2027 a prototype of its 25MW-3XXm, all developments with DFIG and high speed gearbox…all very crazy!

 

Siemens Gamesa

Very discreet presence at the fair with a small stand and under the Siemens Energy brand. No visibility in networks or on the web. As a curiosity, the renewal of Christian Bruch as CEO of Siemens Energy was announced during the fair.

 

On the product side, unconfirmed rumours continue about the development of the new 21 MW, 276m offshore model, dimensions that only a few months ago seemed like science fiction and today, after the Chinese announcements, are starting to become “normal”.

 

Vestas

 

 

I had to search the internet to find any photos or news of Vestas’ presence at the fair. The company has not published anything on its social networks and on the website there is only a landing page that has not been updated. Very strange for a company that has always been the most careful with its communication.

 

Dongfang

It is the Chinese manufacturer that has generated the least noise at the fair. It has not published anything on its networks and it is difficult to find any trace of its presence. However, windpowermonthly reports that the company has plans to install a prototype this year of its 25MW-312m offshore model, with a medium-speed PMG design and integrated powertrain. If realised, it would be the largest model ever built.

 

Navarra Renewables

 

 

And we finish this virtual tour of the pavilions at WindEnergy Hamburg 2024 with a visit to the Navarre pavilion to greet our friends from Nabrawind, Industrial Barranquesa, Eper, Tetrace, Saprem, AIN and Impre, among others, who were sharing the pavilion organised by the Government of Navarre and who are always at the forefront of the battle to compete in the increasingly complicated wind energy landscape.

 

This is the end of our virtual tour. We leave the fair in a state of shock at seeing the strength and technological might of the Chinese OEMs (even without the two most powerful ones attending) while the European manufacturers keep a low profile that borders on resignation at what is coming their way. We will always be left with the hope that this technological race cannot be sustainable and that sooner or later, Chinese OEMs will suffer similar problems to those already suffered by Western OEMs…or not.