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WindEnergy Hamburg, the world’s leading trade fair for the onshore and offshore wind energy sector, opened on 22 September 2026. Speakers at the opening underlined that a massive expansion of wind energy is key to climate protection and resilience, and that only close collaboration at all levels can ensure global energy security.
WindEnergy Hamburg, the flagship fair of the global wind energy industry, held its opening ceremony on 22 September 2026. At a press conference featuring high-ranking speakers, and at the subsequent official opening conference, panellists addressed the industry’s key topics, setting the agenda for the four-day event.
Hamburg’s First Mayor, Dr Peter Tschentscher, delivered a welcome address underlining the importance of the international flagship fair. In their keynote speech, the two CEOs of Hamburg Messe und Congress (HMC), Heiko M. Stutzinger and Uwe Fischer, emphasised the outstanding role of the wind sector for a successful energy transition.
According to figures released on the opening day, around 43,000 participants from 100 nations were expected to visit the exhibition halls, where more than 1,600 exhibiting companies showcased their products and services. Claus Ulrich Selbach, Vice President Exhibitions Maritime & Energy at Hamburg Messe und Congress, said: “The energy crisis has worsened noticeably this year, developing an entirely new dynamic. The more important it is to take decisive steps now to curb its effects. Generating more energy from wind means reducing our dependence on imported fossil fuels while cutting CO2 emissions. WindEnergy Hamburg brings the key players to the table, lending fresh impetus to the industry.”
Independence, competitiveness, growth
Dr Dennis Rendschmid, Managing Director at VDMA Power Systems, said: “WindEnergy Hamburg is the world’s foremost platform for the wind industry and a central meeting place for enterprises, policymakers and institutions along the entire value chain. At a time when the expansion of renewable energy must urgently pick up speed, this trade fair is a catalyst for the creation of a secure environment for investments, for innovation and international collaboration.”
Bärbel Heidebroek, President of the German Wind Energy Association BWE (Bundesverband WindEnergie), said the expo was taking place at just the right time: “WindEnergy Hamburg is one of the world’s key meeting places for the wind industry, bringing together companies, policymakers and experts from across the globe at a crucial time for the sector. As the German Wind Energy Association, we are committed to helping shape reliable conditions for further wind power expansion and to ensuring that wind energy remains a driving force of a secure, competitive and sustainable energy system. The fair is an important opportunity to exchange ideas, build partnerships and turn shared ambitions into concrete progress.”
Tinne Van der Straeten, CEO of WindEurope and former Belgian energy minister, called for stronger political support: “We come to Hamburg with a clear message: wind is delivering for Europe. We are on track to install 24 GW this year – enough to power 20 million homes and avoid fossil fuel imports from 64 LNG tankers. That is the kind of momentum Europe needs for both energy security and competitiveness. But it won’t sustain itself. Governments need to address grid bottlenecks, kick-start electrification and give us the coordinated auction volumes and 2040 target we need to keep investing.”
Asia and Europe as leading regions
“The transition to a clean, secure and affordable energy system begins with wind power,” said Ben Backwell, CEO of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), pointing to the global challenges facing the wind industry. “In these uncertain times, countries, businesses and households increasingly favour wind power as the most reliable, cost-competitive solution for securing economic growth and energy security.” Backwell described WindEnergy Hamburg as a showcase for growth and innovation across the global wind industry and noted that GWEC once again hosted the Global Markets Theatre, bringing together policymakers, CEOs and industry experts to share insights on the future of wind energy worldwide.
Lee Chuan Teck, Chairman of Enterprise Singapore, shared his views on collaboration between Asia-Pacific and Europe as growth regions. He mentioned the government agencies Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) and Singapore Tourism Board (STB) as key partners of WindEnergy Asia-Pacific powered by RECHARGE, scheduled to take place in Singapore from 25 to 27 May 2027. “This successful cooperation reflects the dynamic and importance of Asia’s wind energy market,” said Claus Ulrich Selbach. “We were right on target as Hamburg Messe und Congress to take this step.”
Global players with ambitious plans
The common goal of driving the energy transition globally at scale was the subject of a discussion at the opening conference between leaders from major global players of the wind industry, including Vestas, Siemens Gamesa, EDP, ENERTRAG, Iberdrola, Ørsted, Flender and Vattenfall. GWEC was represented by Chairman Michael Hannibal (Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners) and Vice-Chairman Girish Tanti (Suzlon Group). The new WindEurope Chairman Rasmus Errboe (Ørsted) and his predecessor Henrik Andersen (Vestas) also took part.
Rajesh Kulhari, Joint Secretary of the Indian government’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, and Dr Zafer Demircan, Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Türkiye, reported on their countries’ ambitious goals. Beatriz Yordi, Director for Energy Security and International Relations at the European Commission, contributed the European perspective. Concluding the conference, Stefan Rouenhoff, Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate, delivered a statement highlighting Germany’s efforts to support the European wind sector and officially opened WindEnergy Hamburg 2026.
More than 300 speakers on six open stages
The opening conference gave a foretaste of the comprehensive supporting programme accompanying the expo, with more than 300 speakers scheduled to lecture, present and discuss on six open stages. The main focus, however, was on personal contacts at the exhibition stands and other locations. “Knowledge transfer and information exchange are a big part of what WindEnergy Hamburg is all about. This is why we have prepared a large number of networking opportunities,” said Andreas Arnheim, Director WindEnergy Hamburg and WindEnergy Asia-Pacific powered by RECHARGE.
Held from 22 to 25 September 2026 at the Hamburg Messe und Congress exhibition complex, WindEnergy Hamburg covered more than 83,000 m² of exhibition floor, with equipment manufacturers and suppliers representing all stages of the onshore and offshore wind energy value chain. The new Energy Storage expo area, located in a hall of its own (A2) with roughly 3,600 square metres of floor space, put the spotlight on energy storage technology. The free conference programme was organised together with partners including the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), WindEurope, VDMA and BWE.
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Mesut Kul
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