WindEurope's board of directors has chosen José Luis Blanco, the CEO of Nordex, to lead the association as its new chair for an 18-month tenure. In addition, Alfredo Parres, the head of renewables at Hitachi Energy, has been elected as the vice-chair.
This election follows European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's recent announcement of a “Wind Power Package” aimed at bolstering Europe's struggling wind energy supply chain, as part of her “State of the Union” address. The European Union (EU) is actively pursuing the development of homegrown and competitive wind energy to decarbonise its energy system and reduce its reliance on imported fossil fuels.
With ambitious targets set by the EU and member governments—420GW of wind energy by 2030, up from just over 200GW at present—the need for strong leadership in the wind energy sector is paramount.
José Luis Blanco expressed his support for President von der Leyen's commitment to a European “Green Deal.” He highlighted wind energy as a European success story that is poised to create employment opportunities for 450,000 Europeans by 2030. However, he stressed that European wind turbine manufacturers and their suppliers are facing significant challenges.
Blanco emphasised the importance of the EU's “Wind Power Package” in expediting permitting processes, refining auction designs for wind energy, and reinforcing and expanding manufacturing and supply chains within the EU. He underscored that these measures are essential for enhancing the resilience of the EU's energy supply and its overall economy.
See also: Nordex Group Reports Sales Growth Despite Widened Losses in Q1 2023
Alfredo Parres, the newly elected vice-chair, underscored the crucial role of electricity grids in Europe's decarbonisation efforts. He called for a doubling of annual investments in electricity grids to seamlessly integrate renewable energy in line with the EU's 2030 targets. Parres also stressed the need to strengthen and expand the grid supply chain to avoid bottlenecks in offshore substations, transformers, cables, and electrical switchgear. He advocated for simplified grid planning processes and clearer rules on grid connection and curtailment to accelerate the expansion and optimisation of Europe's grids.
