This week, the Freeport of Ventspils Authority is participating in the WindEurope 2024 exhibition and conference in Bilbao, Spain. It is an annual European-wide event, and this year, industry experts from Latvia are also participating for the first time, including three representatives of the Freeport of Ventspils: Igors Udodovs, the Deputy CEO of the Freeport of Ventspils, Kristīne Jansone, the Development Project Manager, and Kaspars Liepiņš, the Developer of the Green Energy Cluster. This year, the Freeport of Ventspils is also a complete member of WindEurope.
Thanks to the geographical location of the port of Ventspils and the logistical prospects, Ventspils has great potential to become a significant base for the construction and support of offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea. In collaboration with the Dutch company “Witteveen+Bos” which has experience in port construction, a study on the optimal solution for servicing offshore wind farms and related infrastructure in the port of Ventspils and a new port terminal has been modeled. It is essential for Ventspils to learn the examples of other representatives of the industry to realize the further goals of involvement in the renewable energy economy.
With the slogan “Our wind, our value – Creating value for Europe, living up to Europe's values”, WindEurope 2024 demonstrates the broad significance of wind energy not only for Europe as a whole but also the importance of each country on the way to a greener and more sustainable future. During the event, there is an opportunity to listen to educational readings, establish new connections, and participate in discussions about the benefits of wind energy all the while learning how important it is for wind energy to be “made in Europe”. Challenges connected to the expansion of the wind energy sector in Europe are also discussed, particularly the need to accelerate the building of networks and modernize port infrastructure. Much awareness is brought to the value of wind energy in various aspects of European sustainability – in the creation of new jobs, protection of biological diversity, safety of energy supply, and economic competitiveness.
Currently, wind energy accounts for 19% of all electricity consumed in Europe, and by 2030, the European Union has set a goal of nearly doubling this figure, with wind energy reaching 35% within the next seven years. The latest WindEurope annual report convincingly shows that the goal is reachable.
The event gathers more than 12,000 participants annually – companies, state ministers, representatives of the academic community, and the energy industry. The exhibition-conference is taking place for the third year in Spain, which ranks among the five largest countries in the world in terms of wind energy capacity, forming a successful example for all of Europe and the rest of the world.