Patron

Dr. Robert Habeck (MdB),

Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection

Message of greeting
by Dr Robert Habeck,
Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action,
for the 22nd international offshore wind expert conference
WINDFORCE 2024 in Bremerhaven

Dear reader,

We have certainly had to combine our strengths in the last few years: societies, governments and businesses faced the pandemic and the energy crisis and overcame them together – with all the democratic debates that this entailed as we sought out the best responses. This makes me confident: we are more than capable of successfully shaping policies and events, even in times of crisis. And our achievements are plain to see: last year, renewable energy sources for the first time accounted for more than half of the electricity consumption in Germany – and German greenhouse gas emissions fell by 10.1% in 2023 compared with 2022.

It is also obvious that these figures can only signify interim progress: we will need to step up our efforts for the transformation towards a climate-neutral economy. The expansion of offshore wind energy and in future also of offshore hydrogen production plays a key role on this path. In these fields, we have set ourselves ambitious goals. We want to have offshore wind farms with a total capacity of 70 gigawatts in place by 2045. The target for offshore wind energy throughout Europe is 500 gigawatts by 2050. Our ambitious targets for offshore wind energy go hand in hand with the ramp-up of German and European production capacities for renewable energy technologies and the expansion of the necessary port capacities. The Net-Zero Industry Act will also make an important contribution towards this.

It is no secret that this requires cross-border cooperation, and European and international cooperation will be crucial if we are to attain our expansion targets. I am therefore delighted that Denmark is the partner country of WINDFORCE 2024. The German-Danish Bornholm Energy Island Project is an outstanding example of the successful cooperation between our two countries – two countries which are closely linked by friendship. It is a role model for the further expansion of offshore wind energy in Europe. And it reflects the motto of WINDFORCE 2024: Stronger together. In this spirit, I wish all the participants interesting discussions and an inspiring event.

Yours,

Dr Robert Habeck