Germany's Federal Minister of Economics and Climate Protection, Robert Habeck, recently met with representatives of the European wind industry and presented a five-point action plan that will boost the growth, competitiveness and value creation of the national and European wind industry. Focusing on security, reduction of dependencies and financing, the action package aims to ensure that the wind industry can meet Europe's and Germany's growing energy demand in the coming years. 

This announcement comes at a time when the European Union aims to increase its wind capacity from the current 220 GW to 425 GW by 2030 and 1,300 GW by 2050. Although most wind turbines in Europe are produced and assembled by European companies, the market has begun to see orders from Chinese manufacturers. To prevent the expansion of European wind energy from benefiting China, the German plan focuses on strengthening the European wind industry and ensuring its competitiveness.

During the meeting, Habeck emphasized the importance of the wind industry for Europe’s energy transition and technological sovereignty. "We have a strong wind industry in Germany and Europe. It is ready to implement the energy transition and thus contributes to our strategic, energy and technological sovereignty. We must continue to improve the conditions for this industry to remain competitive and lay the foundations for future value creation in Germany and Europe. The agreed measures are a crucial step in this direction," he stated.

The agreed measures to ensure fair competition and mitigate security risks include five key areas:

1. Improving cybersecurity: Stricter cybersecurity requirements will be established for companies managing wind energy installations, ensuring the entire supply chain is protected against cyber threats.

2. Ensuring fair competition: Germany will promote the application of anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures at the European level to ensure a level playing field in the global market, where unfair competition is currently observed.

3. Reducing dependencies on critical components: Currently, more than 90% of permanent magnets used in wind turbines come from China. The plan seeks to diversify suppliers and reduce this strategic dependency through a European roadmap.

4. Securing financing for expansion: To increase the production of wind energy technology, an estimated €16 billion in guarantee instruments will be needed by 2030, supported by credit programs such as the "KfW Sustainable Transformation.

5. Reviewing public financing: Strategies for public banks, such as KfW and the European Investment Bank, will be adjusted to prevent foreign companies, especially Chinese, from receiving support that could distort competition or go against European interests.

Giles Dickson, CEO of WindEurope, expressed his optimism about the plan: "Congratulations to the German government for acting to ensure a level playing field between Europe’s wind energy supply chain and non-European manufacturers. There is no room in Europe for unfairly subsidized prices or financing conditions. Congratulations also to Germany for addressing the crucial issue of data security. There are hundreds of sensors in a modern wind turbine. Whoever installs them in the components has invaluable information and the power to control the operation of those components and the turbine."

The German action plan marks a significant effort to protect the European wind industry, ensuring its growth and ability to compete globally against Chinese manufacturers, while addressing security and sustainability risks.

The first actions are expected to be implemented soon, with a follow-up in 2025 to assess the progress of the adopted measures.