The industrial heart of the transformation 💙 in Germany is all about the further development and realignment of energy supply and industry. We are focusing on sustainable power generation at sea, green steel, the necessary skilled workers, the circular economy, power supply and much more – things are moving forward in NRW!
Under the patronage of Mona Neubaur, Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy and Deputy Minister-President of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Offshore Wind Day of the NRW Wind Energy Industry Day kicked off with a welcome address from the organizer Klaus Lorenz and a video greeting from the patron at 1️⃣. July 2025 with political backing and a clear message:
📢 Offshore wind is not just a coastal issue – it is a crucial industrial future project for the whole country and for #Europe. #Value creation #Industry #Jobs
The 1️⃣7️⃣. Branchentag Windenergie NRW on July 1, 2025 in Neuss focused on the topic of offshore wind 🌊⚓ for the second year🎯: an industry that will remain or can become a lucrative business area for North Rhine-Westphalian companies for years to come. Green hydrogen in sufficient quantities and a sustainable energy system are inconceivable without offshore wind energy.
Since the start of offshore wind energy in Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia has been one of the most employment-intensive federal states in the offshore wind industry in Germany. With a view to a truly circular economy, the issues of green steel, the necessary sustainable energy supply and the offshore wind industry come together here. With its energy-intensive industrial landscape, NRW needs a stable, performance-efficient energy source such as offshore wind energy – at the same time, NRW provides much of what the offshore wind industry needs for resilient expansion and the traditionally strong energy industry that it needs for the rapid expansion of offshore wind energy.
The potential is huge: a significant proportion of the offshore electricity generated in the North and Baltic Seas already flows to NRW today. At the same time, a significant part of the supply industry is based here – from grid technology and transformer stations to special steels, logistics and dismantling expertise. The Offshore Wind Day will highlight how these strengths can be systematically utilized and expanded as part of a specialist conference.
Block I: Offshore wind for and in NRW at state and federal policy level
Block II: Offshore wind #Knowhow from NRW & offshore wind at EU policy level
Block III: Transformation with offshore wind power in NRW
➡️ Block I: Offshore wind for and in NRW at state and federal policy level
The welcoming address by Stefan Wenzel and the impulses from Stefan Thimm, Managing Director of the German Offshore Wind Energy Association and Johanna Meier, Head of Offshore Cooperation at dena with her impulse “Networked energy future: offshore wind between European cooperation, federal strategy and regional benefits” provided a very good thematic basis for the exciting, highly interactive panel discussion with:
Dr. Christian Untrieser, Energy Policy Spokesman CDU NRW
Johanna Meier, Head of Offshore Cooperation German Energy Agency (dena)
Stefan Thimm, CEO Bundeverband Offshore Windenergie e.V.
Marcel Hilgers, Vice President Markets, Customers & Technology thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG
André Stinka, MdL SPD NRW and Committee for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy.
and Stefan Wenzel, former Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, Alliance 90/The Greens.
The value creation potential of offshore wind energy for NRW was discussed together with the current challenges associated with the transformation and examined from different perspectives. Sensible framework conditions at all political levels combined with planning security are required quickly in order to promote industrial growth, exploit existing potential and make optimum use of synergies. #leading markets #NetZeroIndustyAct
➡️ Block II: Offshore wind #Knowhow from NRW & offshore wind at EU policy level
The focus in the second block was the #competitive situation for the offshore wind and #steel industry in NRW and in #Europe – today and in the future.
Presentations:
Pascal Daleiden, CEO for Hitachi Energy Germany/Austria/Switzerland and Slovenia:
📢 “Affordability, critical supply chain. How can OEMs contribute to solutions?”
Aramis Zinke, WindEurope: 📢 “Update on European Wind Policy”
Marcel Hilgers, Vice President Markets, Customers & Technology, thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG:
📢 “Collaborative Decarbonization: Establishing Green Lead Markets for CO2-Reduced Electrical Steel
Pim Reuderink, Regional Technical Manager, BUREAU VERITAS Benelux: 📢 Standardization on EU-level (Holland Home of Wind Energy) ….
…. The speakers were supported in the discussion by Dr. Bernd Horstmann, Director Project Development, Summit Renewable Power GmbH
Questions:
How would you describe the economic potential of offshore wind / green steel for NRW?
How important is the availability of green hydrogen in this context?
What regulatory measures are now particularly urgent for the growth of the steel industry and the offshore wind industry at European level / Is the Net Zero Industry Act/CBAM helpful in its current form?
What can the German government contribute to faster growth – What role does standardization and the Net Zero Industry Act play for the offshore wind industry in Europe in competition with China?
Results:
#NRW provides significant contributions to the resilient expansion of #wind energy at sea with know-how providers from NRW. This was made particularly clear by the presentation from Hitachi Energy and thyssenkrupp Steel Europe. What is required for a successful transformation in NRW: a stable supply chain, project pipeline and, in particular, a level playing field or at least fewer distortions of competition in the “free market”. Offshore wind is already a success story for Europe today – the right course must be set for further positive industrial development (sensible framework conditions, lead markets, standardization, …?). The speed of electrification/accelerated grid expansion and the realization/implementation of the Clean Industrial Deal are particularly important. The regulatory instruments intended to strengthen competitiveness in Europe and Germany have not yet had the necessary impact.The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs is currently working on the implementation of the #NZIA of the Clean Industrial Deal. The next call for tenders is already coming up in August.
➡️ Block III: Offshore wind energy for NRW – transformation of the districts
Questions:
What significance does the North Sea and Baltic Sea have for NRW?
Is there additional acceleration potential for grid expansion and what course needs to be set for this?
What needs to happen for offshore wind decommissioning and recycling?
What added value does the expansion of offshore wind energy create for NRW?
The BSH spoke of over 40 gigawatts being installed by 2034 – do you think this target is achievable in terms of electricity transmission?
Presentations:
Karina Würtz, Managing Director of the Offshore Wind Energy Foundation 📢 “Offshore wind in Germany and prospects for 2030ff,
Dr. Carsten Lehmköster, Managing Director of Amprion Offshore GmbH📢 “How NRW is becoming a coastal state – value creation and prospects through offshore wind energy”
Björn Wittek, Managing Director of Rhenus Offshore Logistics GmbH & Co. KG 📢 “Dismantling offshore wind: perspectives and current assessments of a logistics provider”, Rhenus Offshore Logistics GmbH & Co. KG, Managing Director Björn Wittek
and the three were supported in the panel discussion after their presentations by Michael Pett from OIS Offshore Industrie Service GmbH.
Results:
“We create jobs – offshore wind creates considerable added value for NRW to the tune of several billion euros through Amprion GmbH alone. By focusing on “local content”, we keep the added value and thus jobs in NRW! From coal to offshore wind: nowhere else is the energy transition as visible and offers prospects for traditional energy locations. It is important that offshore energy reaches the load centers,” said Dr. Carsten Lehmköster, Managing Director of Amprion Offshore GmbH.
Thanks to the expert, Block III highlighted the central role of North Rhine-Westphalia in and for the energy transition and industry transformation and once again made it clear how important the topic of qualification and skilled workers is in realizing the existing potential. Offshore wind is a sustainable, full-load energy supply (if it is possible) and, of course, the perspective at the end of the service life of an offshore wind power plant is also relevant and an important business area for the offshore wind industry and the required circular economy. #rawmaterials
Following the Offshore Wind Day, organizer Anne Lorenz welcomed us to “Power Women of Renewables: Women networking the future” – My association, mEErFrauen e.V., was also there with board members Katja Rosenburg, Ganimete Scholz and Martina Köhn, among others, and together with the participants of the concluding workshop we went on the trail of “Female and male leadership models”.
A concluding networking evening in the beautiful old town of Neuss offered plenty of opportunity for networking and a relaxed end to an exciting and inspiring conference day.
I would like to thank all the speakers, participants and the organizer Lorenz Kommunikation🤝Klaus & Anne Lorenz and Malte Harder 🙏🤗🙏 #strongertogether
NRW is at the heart of the German energy transition – not only as a major consumer of offshore wind power, but increasingly also as an industrial pacemaker and driving force for a networked energy future. The 17th NRW Wind Energy Industry Day on July 1 and 2, 2025 in Neuss focused on the topic of offshore wind for the second year running and brought together more than 250 participants from politics, business and science.
💪🌊⚓ The program design and moderation of the Offshore Wind Day in NRW was an inspiring and positive challenge. #OffshoreWindCommunication – I look forward to seeing you again at the 18th NRW Wind Energy Industry Day on June 30 and July 1, 2026 at the Zeughaus in Neuss.
